TORONTO, CANADA (By Orvana, 10.Mar.2026, Words: 505) — Orvana Minerals Corp.’s Bolivian subsidiary, Empresa Minera Paitití S.A. (EMIPA), has produced its first doré as part of the phased restart of the Don Mario Plant.
Following completion of performance verification of the comminution and thickening circuits, and upgrades to the Au-Ag desorption and smelting areas, EMIPA commenced operational trials by processing legacy sulfide ore through the Au-Ag circuit, resulting in the production of the first doré bar.
“Producing the first doré bar marks an important milestone in restarting the Don Mario plant,” said Juan Gavidia, Chief Executive Officer of Orvana.
“This achievement confirms that the Au-Ag circuit is operating as expected following refurbishment and upgrades. Achieving this milestone during a period of strong gold and silver prices further underscores the strategic importance of bringing Don Mario back into operation. Our focus now is on completing construction and commissioning of the Cu circuits required to process the oxide stockpiles and advancing the phased integration of all processing circuits to support oxide stockpile ramp-up and achievement of full operating capacity” he added.
Oxides stockpile project
The Don Mario operation, located in the Don Mario district in southeastern Bolivia, is owned and operated by EMIPA, Orvana’s Bolivian subsidiary. Mining and milling operations at Don Mario were temporarily suspended in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 following depletion of the mineral reserves then being mined.
The Company is now advancing the Oxides stockpile project (OSP), which is designed to process oxide material that was stockpiled during previous years of mining at Don Mario. The project includes an expansion and upgrade of Don Mario Processing Plant to optimize the recovery of copper, gold and silver from these stockpiles.
The OSP consists of 3 components:
(i) plant expansion proper, including new circuits for acid leaching, filtering, solvent extraction and electrowinning to produce Cu cathodes, and enhancement of the pre-existing Au-Ag detox circuits;
(ii) overhaul of legacy comminution (ore crushing and grinding) and thickening circuits; and
(iii) business-readiness initiatives, including upgrades to power generation, chemical and metallurgical laboratories, warehouses and workshops, and the recruitment and training of new personnel.
Don Mario processing plant – restart progress
In Dec. 2025, EMIPA commenced verification of the Don Mario Plant gold-silver (Au-Ag) circuit. The company has completed performance verification of the comminution and thickening circuits, as well as upgrades to the Au-Ag desorption and smelting areas.
Following these upgrades, the circuit is now processing legacy sulfide ore and has produced its first doré bar as part of this process. This milestone confirms the operational readiness of key portions of the Au-Ag circuit and forms part of the broader phased restart of the Don Mario processing plant.
Next operational milestones
The next operational milestones are the completion of construction and commissioning of the Cu circuits and the phased integration of all processing circuits. Processing of the oxide stockpiles is expected to begin thereafter and ramp up progressively through the third quarter of fiscal 2026, with the objective of achieving full operating capacity during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026.
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