I-80 Gold Expects Lower-Half Output Forecast

The Toronto-listed miner kept its 2026 production outlook but flagged delays and labour-cost pressures at its Nevada operations.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Manufacturing

Flat vector editorial illustration of a stepped open gold-mine pit in desert ground with a single processing tower in the distance. — I-80 Gold expects 2026 annual output in the lower half of its 40,000-50,000 ounce forecast after labour shortages and ore-access delays at its Nevada Granite Creek mine raised costs. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you trust mining companies to deliver promised jobs in your community?

I-80 Gold expects annual production in the lower half of its 40,000-50,000 oz. forecast range. Third-quarter output fell 6% from a year earlier to 11,685 oz., and the company reported a wider net loss.

Why it matters

Labour availability and ore access at Granite Creek constrained mining in Nevada, pushing costs up. The company's shift toward larger future output depends on refurbishing its Lone Tree processing plant.

Third-quarter net loss widened to US$48.4 million from US$41.9 million, while cash stood at US$411.4 million as of Sept. 30. The company has not stated whether the lower-half production outcome will be reached.

The players

I-80 Gold

I-80 Gold is a Toronto-listed gold miner with operations in Nevada, including the Granite Creek, Archimedes and Lone Tree projects.

The details

I-80 Gold maintained its outlook but flagged delayed access to high-grade ore at Granite Creek, where the contractor workforce had about 100 employees against a target of roughly 120. Staffing was restored after an adjustment to contractor compensation, and labour costs are running 5%-10% above initial estimates.

Q3 2026: Quarter with widened net loss and 6% output decline.
Sept. 30, 2026: Cash balance of US$411.4 million reported.
Nov. 2026: Quarterly update released; shares fell 2.9% to $1.88 on Tuesday morning.
Q4 2027: First gold targeted at Lone Tree.

Industry Dynamics

Staffing shortfalls at Granite Creek, where the contractor had about 100 employees against a target of roughly 120, show how labour availability is now constraining Nevada gold output. I-80 Gold's plan to raise annual output to 150,000-200,000 oz. from 2028 depends on refurbishing Lone Tree, a project budgeted at about US$430 million.

Investors and Nevada-area workers should watch whether the company can restore labour and ore access, since cost overruns of 5%-10% and a projected 42% rise in all-in sustaining costs at Granite Creek affect near-term economics. Projected all-in sustaining costs of US$2,273 per ounce at Granite Creek are the key figure to track.

The takeaway

Mining growth in Nevada now hinges as much on workforce stability as on geology, and I-80 Gold's ability to staff Granite Creek and finish Lone Tree will determine whether its 2028 output target is met.

What happens next

First gold from the Lone Tree refurbishment is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2027, and feasibility and prefeasibility studies for the Archimedes and Mineral Point projects are expected in the second half of 2027.