Equinox Gold halts production at Los Filos mine in Mexico

Staff Writer | April 1, 2025 | 10:31 am Top Companies Latin America Mexico and Central America Gold

Equinox Gold’s Los Filos mine hit by blockade

The Los Filos mine’s reputation has been tainted by a history of disagreements with landowners. (Image courtesy of Equinox Gold.)

Equinox Gold (TSX: EQX) has announced the indefinite suspension of operations at its Los Filos mine in Guerrero, Mexico.

The decision follows failed negotiations for a land access agreement with the community of Carrizalillo.

Shares of the Canadian miner fell 3.4% on Tuesday morning to C$9.55 following the news, bringing its market capitalization to C$4.3 billion ($3.1 billion).

Discussions with all three local communities began in November 2023, with Carrizalillo being the lone dissenter. Mezcala and Xochipala signed long-term agreements in January 2025.

The agreements, according to Equinox, ensure “the economic and investment conditions necessary for continued operations at the Los Filos mine, including the proposed construction of a new 10,000-tonne-per-day carbon-in-leach processing plant to increase gold recoveries from higher-grade ore.”

Los Filos produced 170,369 oz. of gold in 2024 at an all-in sustaining cost of $2,185 per oz. The property is estimated to house reserves of 5.35 million oz. at 0.86 gram per tonne (g/t) gold and resources of 7.9 million oz. at 0.75 g/t gold.

Total life-of-mine gold production is estimated at 3.97 million oz., peaking between 2025 and 2030 at an average production of 360,000 oz. per year.

Equinox has not included any production from the Los Filos mine in its 2025 production guidance.