Silvercorp Metals, along with its Ecuadorian subsidiary Curimining and Salazar Resources, has provided a progress report on the El Domo copper-gold project in central Ecuador.

The project is expected to go into production in H2 2026, with the earthworks contract being recently awarded to a large international mining contractor.

The companies have made substantial progress in advancing the project.

Key highlights include the streamlining of Ecuadorian operations, which involved relocation of the management team and personnel from the Quito office to the El Domo and Condor project sites.

In terms of engineering advancements, the companies have reviewed previous technical work including interviews with consultancies to confirm earlier studies and detailed engineering designs for optimisation.

The design for the tailing storage facilities, starter dam and impound area, Saprolite Waste Dump, and non-contact water channels have been optimised by Klohn Crippen Berger.

A new site for the process plant has also been selected to ensure supply of the required non-acid generating rocks for the construction of the starter dam while minimising trucking distances.

Further optimisations have been made in the open-pit mine design for mining, stripping and scheduling.

Detailed engineering design for the process plant has also started, with a consulting engineer engaged, including equipment selection, purchasing and detailed engineering drawings.

A powerline contract has been executed with the Ecuadorian state-owned power company, with the construction contractor to be selected upon completion of updated engineering designs.

Three mining contractors with operations at Ecuadorian mining or construction sites were invited, along with a fourth contractor previously engaged by Curimining.

Following interviews and site visits, the Bid Package 1 was awarded to CRCC 14 Bureau Group.

Bid Packages 2 and 3 are due to be awarded in Q1 2025 to maintain the schedule for production in H2 2026.