08:56 AM EST, 12/02/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Aya Gold & Silver ( AYASF ) said Monday that the expanded Zgounder mine in Morocco completed its first silver pour last week.

The company said the milestone was achieved last Wednesday, with hot commissioning now complete and recoveries of over 80% recorded.

"This milestone brings us closer to the start of commercial production at our expanded Zgounder mill in the coming weeks and marks our transition into a tier-one, pure-play, and profitable silver producer," said Benoit La Salle, Aya's president and CEO.

Aya said the expansion achieved a nameplate capacity of 2,000 tonnes per day last Friday, less than a month after first ore in mill.

The company said availability, recovery and throughput continue to improve daily ahead of commercial production targeted before the end of the year.

"With a full ramp-up planned for next year, we are encouraged by the strong operating indicators, overall performance, and continued optimization of our deposit," La Salle said.

AYA was up $0.15 or 1.15% at $13.18 last Friday.