North of 60 Mining News - The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North

Coeur Mining Inc. April 7 reported decreased gold production at its Kensington Mine in Southeast Alaska.

Kensington recovered 26,197 ounces of gold during the first quarter, a 22 percent drop from the previous quarter and 18 percent less than the first quarter of 2016. This dip in production is primarily due to anticipated lower ore grades due to mine sequencing.

The average grade of material processed at Kensington during the first quarter was 0.17 ounces per ton gold. This compares to 0.22 oz/t gold in the fourth quarter of 2016 and 0.21oz/t during the first quarter of last year.

Coeur said the lower grade is and anticipated the slump in gold production.

The company anticipates these grades to increase for the balance of 2017.

Development of Jualin, a higher grade deposit at Kensington, remains on pace for initial production later this year.

Coeur-s five operations in the United States, Mexico and Bolivia produced 3.9 million oz of silver and 88,218 oz of gold, or 9.2 million silver-equivalent oz, during the first quarter.

-SHANE LASLEY