…figures differ by 626 troy ounces, valued at US$2.5M
(Kaieteur News) – Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd, a Chinese state-owned mining giant operating in Guyana through its wholly owned subsidiary AGM Inc., has reported a slightly higher gold production figure from the Aurora Gold Mine than the gold declaration figure reported by the Government of Guyana for the first half of 2026.
In its recently published 2026 Interim Report on Zijin’s global operations, the company said during the first half of 2026, AGM’s revenue from the Guyana project reached US$334 million.
The company also reported that gold production at the Aurora Gold Mine for the first half of the year was 2.2 tonnes, equivalent to 70,731 troy ounces.
Aurora Gold Mine – 2023 photo
Zijin’s figure for gold production at the Aurora Gold Mine in the first half of 2026 is slightly higher than the gold declaration figure published by the Ministry of Finance in its mid-year report.
Government reported that AGM Inc., Guyana’s lone large-scale gold producer declarations fell from 71,316 troy ounces in the first half of last year to 70,105 troy ounces in the same period of 2026.
The difference of 626 troy ounces between Zijin’s reported gold production figure and the government’s gold declaration figure is valued at approximately US$2.57 million, based on a gold price of US$4,100 per troy ounce.
AGM Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zijin, operates the Aurora Gold Mine, which is located in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
This publication recently reported that in Zijin’s report, it was disclosed that during the reporting period, Zijin said geological exploration activities completed 11,000 metres of drilling at the Aurora Gold Mines.
It further disclosed that production exploration activities at the Guyana project is focused on open-pit mining, processing and refining operations and continued efforts to strengthen grade control and ore blending management with 10,000 metres of in-pit drilling completed.
During the first half of 2026, Zijin reported that five underground drilling rigs operated steadily at the Aurora Gold Mine. As it relates to project operation and production Zijin stated, “The mine reduced costs and improved recovery rate through measures such as pit backfilling, underground waste-rock backfilling, optimisation of blasting materials, gravity separation and carbon fines recovery.”
It was also stated that the photovoltaic and power storage systems have commenced, reducing reliance on diesel generated power and effectively lowering production costs.`
Zijin’s foothold in Guyana’s mining landscape was solidified in August 2020 when they acquired the largest gold mines operation in the country from Canadian-owned AGM for a sum of US$238 million. The mine holds estimated reserves close to 184 tonnes of gold or approximately six million ounces of gold. AGM’s mining and processing methods includes open-pit mining, underground mining, gravity separation and cyanide leaching.
In April, Zijin published its 2025 Annual Report on its global operation which revealed that its operating income from the Aurora Gold Mine last year was 3.68651 RMB billion (US$ 549.1 million). That report also stated that the Guyana mine produced approximately 4.5 tonnes of gold, representing an 11% increase from 4.1 tonnes in 2024.
Source: Kaieteur News
