Escobal project over 95% complete, Tahoe COO says

Construction of Vancouver-based Tahoe Resources' (TSX: THO, NYSE: TAHO) Escobal silver project in Guatemala is "well over 95%" complete, with the company "deep in commissioning," according to COO Ron Clayton. Tahoe is planning to "put ore in the mill" by Friday (Sep 27), with the first concentrates expected by the end of the month and the first shipment in early October, Clayton told the Denver Gold Forum. The project is on time and on budget and is expected to deliver the "best free cash flow in the industry," CEO Kevin McArthur added, with life of mine production expected to be 20Moz/y. ANTI-MINING VIOLENCE Tahoe faced a number of violent incidents relating to the Escobal project, including a protest and an attack on two truck drivers in April. Apart from one incident in September the problem of violence has "completely disappeared" since the government imposed a temporary state of emergency in March, Clayton told the conference and a new police force was brought in. While Guatemala is a "noisy" mining jurisdiction, with a lot of anti-mining NGO activity and press reports, Tahoe has received "great support" from the government under President Otto Peréz Molina, McArthur added.