VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equinox Gold Corp. (TSX: EQX, NYSE American: EQX) ("Equinox Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce production results for the three months ended June 30, 2026 ("Q2" or the "Quarter"), along with an update on operations at its two Canadian cornerstone assets: Valentine Gold Mine ("Valentine") in Newfoundland & Labrador and Greenstone Gold Mine ("Greenstone") in Ontario. All dollar figures are in United States dollars unless otherwise noted.
Darren Hall, CEO of Equinox Gold, commented: "Equinox Gold delivered sequentially higher production at its Canadian operations with 97,273 ounces ("oz") of combined gold production from Greenstone and Valentine, contributing to consolidated quarterly production of 176,836 ounces. Production from our Canadian operations continues to steadily increase with notable performance indicators highlighting progress in the ramp-up of our two long-life, Canadian mines. The team's continued focus on operational execution and optimization is delivering results at both Greenstone and Valentine as we move into what we expect to be a stronger second half of the year.
"At Greenstone, mining rates averaged more than 199,000 tonnes per day following the winter months, while mill throughput averaged 26,856 tonnes per day. Importantly, we continue to see a growing number of days operating above nameplate capacity, with 69% of days exceeding 27,000 tonnes per day compared to 51% in the first quarter. This trend is anticipated to continue into the second half of the year resulting in expected higher production quarter over quarter for the balance of the year. At Valentine, the process plant averaged 7,730 tpd, or 113% of nameplate. We expect to see increasing production in the second half of the year, driven by higher mill feed grades and continued strong plant performance, with Phase 2 mill expansion early works expected to begin during H2 2026.
"The quarter also marked two important strategic milestones. We announced our proposed business combination with Orla Mining, which we believe will create a premier North American gold producer with approximately 1.1 million ounces of expected annual gold production in 2026, a funded pathway to approximately 1.9 million ounces of annual production over time, and a portfolio of high-quality, long-life assets capable of generating meaningful free cash flow and long-term value for shareholders.
"We also secured 20-year land access agreements with the three communities that host the multi-million-ounce Los Filos mine, a significant step towards the unlocking of value of this high-quality long-term growth asset in our portfolio. In addition to securing long-term land access, we established a new framework governing labour and supply services that reflects a more disciplined, transparent and sustainable operating model. We have initiated restart planning while advancing technical work to optimize the operation, including evaluating a rightsized carbon-in-leach development scenario. We believe Los Filos has the potential to become another high-quality, cornerstone asset within our portfolio and a meaningful contributor to Equinox Gold's long-term growth.