Endeavour expected to declare commercial production for Ity CIL early in the second quarter of 2019. Following performance tests already conducted, Endeavour has launched optimization and de-bottlenecking work that is expected to increase plant nameplate capacity from an initial 4 million metric tons per year (mt/y) to 5 million mt/y. cost of $10 million to $15 million. These plant upgrades will be completed during scheduled plant maintenance shutdowns over the next six months.

Endeavour President and CEO Sébastien de Montessus said, “As we approach commercial production, I would like to acknowledge the hard work of our in-house construction team for successfully delivering the Ity CIL project ahead of schedule and under budget, with an exceptional safety record of more than 8.5 million hours without a lost-time injury. This first gold pour and the remarkably quick ramp-up period is a transformational event for Endeavour, as the Ity CIL project will quickly contribute to our cash generation potential.”