Slide at Twin Creeks gold mine in Nevada

A slide in a section of pit wall at the Twin Creeks mine near Winnemucca, Nev., is expected to reduce gold production this year.

Owner Santa Fe Pacific Gold (NYSE) reports that the slide brought down an estimated 3 million tons of overburden, covering a portion of the ore scheduled to be mined and processed. A further 3 million tons of material will have to be moved in order to stabilize the wall and begin clean-up. As a result, production of about 80,000-90,000 oz. gold will be deferred into future years.

There were no injuries, no equipment was damaged, and all the overburden involved is within the final pit outline.

Twin Creeks mines 95 million tons of ore and waste annually, from which are produced 500,000 oz. gold.