Equinox Gold's Castle Mountain Accepted into FAST-41 Permitting Program

Core Viewpoint - Equinox Gold Corp. has successfully entered the FAST-41 program for its Castle Mountain Mine Phase Two Project, which is expected to streamline the permitting process and enhance regulatory certainty [1][2]. Group 1: Project Details - The Castle Mountain project is anticipated to produce approximately 200,000 ounces of gold annually over a 14-year mine life, totaling 3.2 million ounces [2]. - The federal permitting process for Castle Mountain is projected to be completed by December 2026, following the timeline posted on the FAST-41 project dashboard [1]. - The project is located in San Bernardino County, California, about 200 miles north of Equinox Gold's Mesquite Mine [2]. Group 2: Company Strategy - The CEO of Equinox Gold emphasized that Castle Mountain will be a cornerstone asset, reinforcing the company's strategy of building a portfolio of long-life, low-cost mines in top-tier jurisdictions [2]. - The company has initiated study updates and project optimization to align with the permitting timeline, positioning the project for a timely construction decision [2]. Group 3: Operational Background - Equinox Gold acquired Castle Mountain in December 2017 and operated a small open-pit heap leach gold mine from Q4 2020 to Q3 2024 [2]. - The mine is currently undergoing re-leaching procedures while the company advances permitting, engineering, and optimization work [2].