Production
Mineralized material at San José is processed at a mill site, with half of the concentrate material produced being processed into doré, and the balance filtered and shipped as concentrate. The mine has been in commercial production for over 12 years and is estimated to continue producing gold and silver into 2024, according to an assessment from December, 2018. The life of the mine continues to be updated as exploration advances and reserve estimates are renewed.
McEwen Mining's attributable production for 2018 at San José was of 47,331 gold ounces and 3,020,696 silver ounces, for a total of 87,607 gold equivalent ounces using a 75:1 gold-to-silver ratio. For 2018, cash costs and all-in-sustaining costs per ounce of gold equivalent were $851 and $1,061, respectively. Below are presented annual production numbers and costs per ounces sold over the most recent three years.
McEwen Mining's guidance for 2019 production at San José is for 49,000 ounces of gold and 3,225,000 ounces of silver. Based on a 75:1 gold-to-silver ratio, this translates into a total of 92,000 gold equivalent ounces at cash costs and all-in sustaining costs of $830 and $1,060 per ounce of gold equivalent, respectively. For Q1 2019 our attributable production was 10,559 ounces of gold and 701,341 ounces of silver, for a total of 19,910 ounces of gold equivalent, at total cash costs and all-in-sustaining costs of $749 and $1,115 per gold equivalent ounce.