The timeline for restarting mining operations at the Çöpler mine, in Türkiye, remains uncertain, dual-listed SSR Mining said this week, stating that it was continuing to work with authorities to secure the necessary permits for resuming operations after a landslide incident earlier this year.

In February, a landslide resulted in the entrapment of several workers. Following an extensive search and recovery effort, all nine individuals who were lost owing to the incident have now been recovered.

SSR said that there had been no recordable contamination to local soil, water or air in the sampling locations being monitored.

The company said site remediation costs would be between $250-million and $300-million. In the second quarter, $55-million was spent on remediation activities at Çöpler.

“The investigations into the cause of the Çöpler incident continue and we are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities in Türkiye,” said SSR.

The company commissioned independent third parties to review the design, construction and operation of the heap leach pad, and although the review remained ongoing, no material noncompliance had been identified.

SSR said that, once the necessary regulatory approvals, including the environmental-impact assessment and operations permits, were reinstated, initial operations at Çöpler would consist of processing stockpiled ore through the sulphide plant, while the mining team remained focused on completing the remediation work.

At the end of 2023, the sulphide stockpiles at Çöpler contained about 706 000 oz. The sulphide plant would be able to process the stockpiles economically while remediation work was being completed.

In the second quarter, SSR produced 76 102 gold-equivalent ounces (GEOs) at an all-in sustaining cost of $2 116/oz, which included $7.3-million in care-and-maintenance costs incurred at Çöpler.

First half consolidated production of 155 864 GEOs from Marigold, Seabee and Puna is in line with expectations for a second-half weighted production profile. Full-year 2024 production guidance of 340 000 GEOs to 380 000 GEOs for Marigold, Seabee and Puna remains unchanged.

Net income attributable to SSR Mining in the second quarter of 2024 was $9.7-million, or $0.05 a diluted share, and adjusted attributable net income in the second quarter of 2024 was $7.5-million, or $0.04 a diluted share. In the second quarter of 2024, operating cash flow was negative $78.1-million, or negative $23.1-million before working capital adjustments, and free cash flow was negative $116.3-million, or negative $61.3-million before working capital adjustments.