The construction of the Don Mario Mine was completed for US$19 million and production from the LMZ commenced on July 1, 2003. Within three months, throughput was increased from 600 tonnes per day to 700 tonnes per day. Initially, the gold-bearing shear zone was mined at the surface, but eventually a shift to underground mining was implemented. The LMZ was depleted in July 2009 after production of over 420,000 ounces gold at less than US$200/ounce during its six years of operation. A generator and ball mill were commissioned in June 2009 and throughput is nearly 2,000 tonnes per day in an effort to maintain similar levels of annual gold production by mining the lower-grade Las Tojas. The potential to delineate more gold at Las Tojas is high and it is believed that gold production at the Don Mario facilities will continue until June 2010. At that time, the leach-precipitation-flotation facility will be operational so that the polymetallic ore from the UMZ can be processed.