Video News/Mining Forum Americas 2026

Lundin Gold is looking to extend the production profile at Fruta del Norte in Ecuador as new discoveries, reserve conversion and a planned plant expansion add to the mine’s growth outlook. Speaking with Kitco Mining at the 2026 Mining Forum Americas, President and CEO Jamie Beck said FDN began mining in 2019 with about 5 million ounces of reserves, has since produced more than 3 million ounces and still holds roughly 6 million ounces in reserves. “This whole sort of structural district continues to surprise, and surprise to the upside,” Beck said. Lundin is studying an expansion from about 5,500 tonnes per day to 6,500–7,000 tonnes per day, aimed at sustaining roughly 500,000 ounces of annual production as grades normalize. Beck also pointed to emerging copper upside, with an inaugural resource for the Sandia copper-gold discovery targeted around Q1 2027, while Lundin continues exploring a broader land package around FDN.