Newmont Goldcorp resumes operations at Peñasquito gold mine in Mexico

Newmont Goldcorp

said on Monday it had resumed shipping concentrate from the Peñasquito gold mine in Mexico after a blockade by a trucking contractor and some members of the Cedros community was lifted.

Operations at the mine were temporarily suspended since April 29.

Delivery of supplies to the site has also resumed, Newmont said, adding that the downtime from the suspension was used to bring forward maintenance on some systems and equipment.

Truck drivers have blocked access to the mine since March 27 and the protesters say its operations caused a water supply to dry up. At the end of April the company suspended production, then payments and benefits to villages surrounding the site.

The temporary shutdown had worried some analysts on the expected impact on 2019 production . However, the company has not yet provided any figures.

The open-pit mine, in northern Zacatecas state, produced 272,000 ounces of gold in 2018 , company figures show. It accounts for about 17 percent of Newmont Goldcorp’s net asset value, according to Scotiabank .

The mine was part of the portfolio of Goldcorp, whose acquisition Newmont completed in April to become the world’s biggest gold producer.

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