Ero Copper Corp. (NYSE:ERO) Q3 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Operator: [Operator Instructions] The next question comes from Gordon Lawson of Paradigm Capital. Please go ahead.

Gordon Lawson: My first question was just stolen, so I’ll roll over here. Can you clarify the key components of the 3.0 project in terms of timing? And I’ve got the mill ramping up to 4.2 in 2024. But what does — what and when does the second shaft add to the mining rate?

Makko DeFilippo: Yeah, good question, Gordon. So yeah, that’s — you’re spot on in the mill expansion. Obviously, we’re completing the installation and commissioning phase in Q4 as we outlined in our MD&A news release today. The shaft handover to operations obviously involves — we’re — as I like to say, we’re 40 meters complete on the precinct and about 1,460 meters to go on the shaft. So we — that progress will start here at the end of the year in parallel with our underground infrastructure. We’re forecasting an on-time delivery of the shaft project in Q4 of 2026. So it will be fully operational in 2027.

Gordon Lawson: Okay. And do you have an idea what that would do to the mine rate?

Makko DeFilippo: The overall mining rate from the Pilar mine will be 3 million tonnes. That’s the objective.

Gordon Lawson: Okay. That helps. Thank you very much.

Makko DeFilippo: 2.0 terminology comes from.

Gordon Lawson: Great. Thanks a lot.

Operator: This concludes the question-and-answer session. I would like to turn the conference back over to David Strang for any closing remarks.

David Strang: Thank you, operator, and thank you again, everybody, for coming on the call. I really appreciate the questions that we have — that we received, and we look forward to talking to you at the — I guess it’s going to be February with respect to the next call on the annual results. Hopefully, we get to see a lot of you in between that and continue to have discussions. We’re always available to answer anybody’s questions with regards to how operations are going. And again, I just need to thank the team, our overall team for the great work they continue to do in terms of delivering both operationally and on our project basis and getting to the goal that we’re looking to achieve. So thanks to everybody, and thanks again to everybody on the call. Thank you, operator.

Operator: Thank you. This concludes today’s conference call. You may disconnect your lines. Thank you for participating, and have a pleasant day.