GUYANA Goldfields Inc. (GGI), the Canada-based company that’s focused on bringing the Aurora Gold Project in Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) into production, recently announced a top management change.

The company disclosed that it has appointed a new Chief Operating Officer (COO) Mr. Peter Lello Galassi (“Lello”) who has over 15 years of experience in Senior Project

Director roles where he budgeted, implemented, built, commissioned and turned over large international development projects in Peru, Chile, Australia, The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea.
Mr. Galassi previously worked for Rio Tinto Iron Ore as the Senior Project Manager for the multi-billion dollar Simandou Project in Guinea, West Africa starting in 2008, where he led Brownfield and Greenfield expansion projects ranging from mine to port structures, equipment and systems.
The appointment is effective immediately and Mr. Galassi will be responsible for all daily operations related to the Aurora Gold Project. Sheridan also disclosed that GGI anticipates announcing additional senior management appointments and changes in the coming months.
GGI received a mining license for the Aurora Gold Project from the Government of Guyana in November 2011. It was the first large-scale mining license to be issued in the gold sector in Guyana since 1991.
January last, GGI disclosed that its mine plan will produce 3.29 million ounces of gold over an initial 17-year mine life at an operating cash cost of US$527 per ounce (including royalty).
Commercial production is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2015.  Average annual gold production over the life of the mine is 194,000 ounces and an average of 231,000 ounces per year over the first ten years.
Gold production will be staged, the GGI said with initial open pit production of 5,000 tonnes per day from the Rory’s Knoll deposit and expanding to 10,000 tonnes per day in early 2018 when underground mining commences. Gold production is expected to peak in 2020 at 349,000 ounces.
Meanwhile, currently underway are various infrastructure development at Aurora which includes on-site service and heavy equipment haulage roads; camp accommodations; a combination diesel and heavy fuel oil power station, distribution system and fuel storage facilities; a newly expanded airstrip; heavy equipment maintenance shop, mine buildings and warehouses, administration building, explosives storage and a communications system.
Mr. Galassire replaces Mr. Marcel. F. DeGuire who tendered his resignation as COO in March citing personal reasons.