SnowDB: Note Q3 303 zone ore only in Sept?“Production in Q3 2018 was positively impacted as the result of mining the first 303 stope in September, where the muck sample head grades averaged 38.5 grams per tonne, gold (“g/t”). As a result, production of 19,437 ounces at a head grade of 13.3 g/t was above reserve grade of 12.2 g/t at the Eagle River Underground Mine."
I may be reading too much into the situation, but here's one scenario. The (planned) mill shutdown ran from (approx) Sept 14 to (known) Oct 15. That means 303 ore only got fed to the mill for a couple of weeks, at most, in Q3.
Further speculating, if WDO continued to mine 303 and other ore, while the mill was shutdown, Q4 production could reflect as much as 15 weeks of 303 ore.
Again, I may be reading too much into the situation. Overall, I would be quite happy with Q4=18k production. WDO is hitting on all cylinders - increasing production, increasing op cash flow, decreasing cost/oz, Kiena exploration results, Eagle exploration results - and to date I simply do not have much to worry about. More specifically, it would be reasonable for WDO to intentionally target whichever 303 areas they knew to be the richest, in order to lessen the effects of the shutdown on Q3 production numbers. It probably is simplistic to assume ounces will be constant, per time period, across 303's lifespan. But we could have a blowout Q4, if the scenario applies.