GWR, I have reanalyzed using your knowledgable input and come up with a monthly precious metal production of $3.16 million. I used a 90% recovery on the pyrite concentrate which ECU has stated is being obtained and I used 80% recovery for the oxide gold and 60% recovery for the oxide silver. These oxide recoveries are slightly higher than recent yields, but are probably conservative once ECU operates the secondary trickling water circuit they mentioned a few news releases ago. Based on the 35 tpd gold pyrite concentrate feed and the 14,000 tonne stockpile, there is enough of this material to last about 13 months. Based on the 70,000 tonnes of gold tailings you mentioned and the feed of 133.33 tpd of this material into the new 400 tpd circuit, there is enough to last 21 months.
Once these stockpiles runout it is not the end of the world, it just means that ECU will have to mine the full 900 tpd of average grade oxide ore in order to maintain their production above $3 million per month.
The implementation of the idea of increasing the sulphide mill capacity to 450 tpd inorder to generate the 35 tpd of pyrite concentrate will keep the 500 tpd blended oxide/roasted pyrite operation going for over 10 years. Based on ECU's M&I metal grades for the sulphides, recovery rates and current prices, this potential 450 tpd operation will generate another $975,000 per month not counting the pyrite concentrate. ECU's inferred and potential sulphides have even better grades than their M&I sulphides.