Autonomous CAT 793 hauling rock to the dumping pad. Photo by Guillaume Fortin
March 30, 2023
As of the end of December, construction of the Côté project was approximately 73% complete and advancing well in line with the project and cost schedule. With approximately 1,600 workers currently on site, the project is nearing peak capacity and has seen significant progress in the first quarter of the year towards the production target of early 2024.
A Mine for the Modern Age. The project achieved a major milestone in January with the initial deployment of the autonomous CAT 793 haul trucks controlled by the recently commissioned autonomous control room.
Construction progress was made in critical work fronts during the December holiday season. Monthly project advancement is estimated to be between 2 - 4% in the following months as per the construction execution schedule.
Earthworks activities advanced providing significant progress around water management infrastructure. Construction of water realignment channels is complete, and the east seepage collection pond dam was constructed. The Tailings Management Facility east starter dam has progressed well, including the liner installation from South to North.
Progress in the crushing circuit area continued in December with the pour of the last elevation walls of the primary crusher. The majority of steel was installed in the HPGR and secondary crushing, including the setting of the overhead cranes. The remainder of the grinding area has seen continuous progress, most notably in the coarse ore area, where all major equipment set-up and installation was well progressed. In January, focus was placed on piping and start of the electrical scope.
January 22 was hailed as a landmark day by our Côté Gold team after safely operating a full load, haul, and dump cycle using autonomous dump trucks. Congratulations to the whole team for taking on the challenges and for your commitment to making meaningful progress and delivering results safely!
