McIlvenna Bay mine is producing concentrates, Natural Resources Canada says
Natural Resources Canada says McIlvenna Bay in Saskatchewan has made concentrates since June; it and Eldorado had expected commercial output in Q3.
Why this matters: our read
Concentrate output is a ramp-up milestone. Commercial production is the declaration to watch: both sources expected it in the third quarter, and we have not found one yet.
Natural Resources Canada said in a September 2, 2026 release that the McIlvenna Bay copper-zinc mine in east-central Saskatchewan is making concentrates. The department dates the first copper concentrate to June, with zinc and pyrite concentrates following in July.
Eldorado Gold’s June 8 release reported first copper concentrate on June 7, 2026. The company said its team is ramping up to the plant’s nameplate capacity, 4,900 tonnes per day, and listed flotation circuit tuning and paste plant completion among the tasks.
NRCan and Eldorado each said commercial production was expected in the third quarter of 2026. That quarter has since ended, and we have not found a declaration of commercial production from Eldorado. NRCan added that Eldorado is evaluating a processing capacity expansion from 4,900 to about 7,000 tonnes per day. It put current employment at about 380 full-time workers, with about 450 expected after commercial production starts.
Sources
- Natural Resources Canada: Canada celebrates progress on the McIlvenna Bay mine: production underway, jobs created, supply chains strengthenedprimary source · Published
- Eldorado Gold: Eldorado Gold Announces First Concentrate Produced at McIlvenna Bayprimary source · Published
Corrections
- Added that the third quarter has ended and we have found no Eldorado declaration of commercial production.