Mine construction is on schedule for Sonora Gold Corp.

An estimated 6,000-ton-per- day gold mine in Jamestown, Calif., is expected to be complete by year-end, 70%-owner Sonora Gold Corp. says.

More than 500 workers were on site at presstime. Work is nearly complete on the tailings management facility, including the first raise of the tailings dam as well as the underlying liner for the tailings area. Primary, secondary and tertiary crushers have been erected including the majority of associated conveyor belt structures. Fine ore bins are in final stages of construction.

The concentrator mill building is also nearing completion, Sonora Gold says. All structural steel has been erected. Ball and rod mills, flotation cells, filters and all ancillary equipment have been installed. Final roofing and sliding are now being put up. The tailings thickener has been erected and the administration building, warehouse and truck maintenance shop have also been completed. Nearing completion are the assay lab and final refurbishing of the fleet of 100-ton haul trucks. Operations are expected to begin by shipping concentrates off site to Sonora’s recently acquired Nevada pla nt for cyanide leaching and dore production. A small-scale thiourea leach plant will be constructed on site to provide for final continuous tests of this leach process. The increased cost of shipping the concentrates off site are forecast at about $15 per oz of gold produced.