Eldorado Gold Produces First Copper-Gold Concentrate at Skouries

Mining News | 2026-09-10 06:09:48 | By Paul Ploumis

Eldorado noted that the project currently has an ore stockpile exceeding 4.6 million tonnes above reserve grade.

Summary

First concentrate produced: Eldorado Gold produced its first copper-gold concentrate at Skouries on September 8, 2026, marking a major step as the northern Greece project progresses from construction into operations.
Ramp-up supported by substantial ore stockpile: The processing plant is undergoing commissioning and ramp-up following the successful startup of crushing, grinding, flotation and tailings thickening systems. The project has an ore stockpile exceeding 4.6 million tonnes, enough to support more than seven months of processing during ramp-up.
Commercial production expected in Q4: Skouries is currently operating with temporary on-site power while its connection to Greece’s national electricity grid is expected this month. Once fully operational, the mine is expected to produce an annual average of approximately 140,000 ounces of gold and 67 million pounds of copper over its mine life.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Eldorado Gold announced first production of copper-gold concentrate at the Skouries project in northern Greece. This marks a major milestone for the mine as it moves from construction toward full-scale operations.

According to a company news release, the first concentrate was produced on September 8, 2026, during ongoing commissioning and ramp-up of the processing facility. The achievement follows the arrival of the first ore at the crusher in July and successful startup of major processing systems, including crushing, grinding, flotation and tailings thickening.

Eldorado Gold Concluded Purchase of Louvem Property from O3 Mining

Eldorado noted that the project currently has an ore stockpile exceeding 4.6 million tonnes above reserve grade. This inventory provides enough material to support more than seven months of processing and concentrate production during the ramp-up period, it added.

The project currently relies on on-site temporary power, with connection to the national electricity grid expected this month. It must be noted that commercial production at Skouries is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. Over its mine life, Skouries is expected to produce an average of approximately 140,000 ounces of gold and 67 million pounds of copper annually.

George Burns, CEO of Eldorado Gold, described the production of the first concentrate as an important turning point for the company. Furthermore, he highlighted Skouries' significance to Greece and the entire European mining sector.