B2Gold (NYSE: BTG) announced Monday that mining operations have resumed at its Masbate mine in the Philippines. Milling operations have been ongoing.
Mining and milling operations continue at the Fekola Mine in Mali and Otjikoto Mine in Namibia, and the company is continuing to progress its expansion and development projects with some restrictions and delays being experienced by individual projects.
The company expects to meet or exceed budgeted consolidated gold production for the first quarter of 2020. The Masbate Mine expects to meet its budgeted gold production estimate for the first quarter of 2020, B2Gold said.
Mining and milling operations continue at the Fekola Mine in Mali and Otjikoto Mine in Namibia, and the company is continuing to progress its expansion and development projects
Masbate suspended mining activities from March 22 to March 29, due to a temporary fuel shortage, during which time the milling operations continued processing ore from stockpiles.
The shortage resulted from issues related to local government interpretation of emergency measures imposed by the Philippine national government to control the spread of the covid-19 virus. The delivery of cargo to Masbate island, including fuel, was temporarily disrupted due to a requirement that cargo delivery crews be screened and certified free of covid-19.
B2Gold said it is continuing to implement comprehensive response measures and to date has not experienced any incidents of the covid-19 virus at its sites or corporate offices.