Americas Gold and Silver Advances Expansion at the Galena Silver Mine in the United States

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 24, Americas Gold and Silver is advancing the expansion of the Galena silver mine in Idaho, United States. The company's management most recently stated that after a two-phase upgrade, the Galena No.3 main hoisting shaft's current safe hoisting capacity has exceeded 1,400 short tons per day, more than double the approximately 650 short tons per day at the time the current management team took over. With shaft capacity unlocked, the project's next phase will focus on plant expansion, paste backfill system construction, and increasing the proportion of long-hole mining.

The No.3 shaft is the main transport route for personnel, materials, and ore underground at Galena. The company completed the Phase 2 upgrade in June, adding a braking system and completing mechanical, electrical, and control system upgrades. During a continuous 15-day operating period, average hoisting capacity exceeded 85 short tons per hour, with a short-term peak of 105 short tons per hour. The company had previously stated a designed total hoisting capacity of approximately 1,350 short tons per day and plans to maintain the design level of 105 short tons per hour through subsequent optimization. The Phase 2 project capital expenditure was approximately US$1.1 million.

On the mining side, the application of long-hole mining is being expanded in parallel. Management disclosed in September that Galena has completed its 19th long-hole stope, with a mining cycle of approximately 28 days per stope; under conventional drill rig mining conditions, a comparable stope cycle can be as long as approximately 14 months. The company aims to gradually increase the proportion of long-hole mining to approximately 70%. The associated surface paste backfill plant is planned to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2026, with a designed backfill capacity of approximately 93 short tons per hour and a total investment of approximately US$11.9 million.

The processing side currently has a throughput capacity of approximately 750 short tons per day, which the company plans to increase to 1,200 short tons per day by the end of 2026. The upgrades include restoring the previously idled third ball mill and replacing flotation equipment, with new Metso flotation cells scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter. The capital budget for the Galena plant upgrade is approximately US$4.8 million. With shaft hoisting capacity expanded, the processing system has become the main facility bottleneck for continued production ramp-up at the current stage.

The Galena Complex is also refurbishing the Galena Shaft, which has been idle since 2015, and plans to convert it into an underground infrastructure passage for paste delivery pipelines, compressed air, water, power, and other service facilities. The project budget is approximately US$7.3 million, and the shaft lining and related facilities are planned to continue advancing in 2026, providing underground infrastructure for subsequent expansion at Galena and the adjacent Crescent mine.

In terms of production, the company's silver production in the first half of 2026 was approximately 1.45 million ounces, with full-year guidance of 3.2 million to 3.6 million ounces. Phase 2 construction at the No.3 shaft in the second quarter caused approximately one month of production suspension. Management is currently advancing the second-half production increase in parallel with long-hole mining, shaft hoisting, plant expansion, and commissioning of the backfill system.