The Sao Vicente Mine is an open-pit operation that is designed to send a steady feed of gravity leach ore, on a daily basis, to the gravity circuit while the run-of-mine dump leach ore material goes directly to the leach pad together with the higher grade gravity tails. The mine plan is currently being revised to reduce the crushing/gravity plant cut-off grade to 0.35 g/t gold (Au) and thereby increase the crushed tonnes of higher grade mineralization containing free gold. The lower grade material between 0.25 g/t Au and 0.35 g/t Au will be trucked directly to the heap leach pads as run-of-mine ore. In 2009, the Sao Vicente Mine began commercial production, processing 2,159,268 tonnes of ore during the year at an average grade of 0.43 grams per tonne and producing 49,584 ounces of gold. Gold production attributable to Aura Minerals in 2010 is expected to be approximately 40,000 ounces based on eight months of production following the acquisition on April 30, 2010. Process plant and heap and metallurgy improvements will support this production target in 2010.