Lumwana-First-quarter production at Zambian copper mine incr
By: Jonathan Faurie
30th April 2010
First-quarter (Q1) production at Africa’s biggest opencast copper mine, Lumwana, in Zambia, amounted to 30 471 t (67-million pounds) of copper in concentrate, a 37% improvement on production for the corresponding period in 2009, greater than the expected production.
The owner of the Lumwana mine, Australia’s Equinox Minerals, says that it achieved significant improvements in every area of production relative to the first quarter of 2009, with both total material mined and ore mined improving by about 70%.
Equinox president Craig Williams says that, following on the steady production growth through 2009, the Q1 2010 results were pleasing as they were achieved during the wettest part of the year, reflecting a steady continuation of mine and mill ramp-up. He adds that these results allowed Equinox to meet its 2010 full-year guidance of 135 000 t of copper.
As expected by management, the material moved during the wettest part of the year in the quarter was less than that moved during the preceding quarter. Further, during the quarter, both mine and mill tonnages were impacted on by a four-day electrical power outage when a Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation distribution grid pylon came down west of Solwezi owing to vandalism. The one-off event affected the whole of the Solwezi region and was the first time electrical power had been limited to the Lumwana site. The milled tonnage was also affected by a scheduled seven-day maintenance shutdown to replace the liners in the primary crusher.
“The Lumwana operations team continues to focus on the key areas of mining equipment availability and use, with good progress being made. The addition of five new Hitachi EH4500 trucks, which are expected to be progressively delivered and commissioned over the next two quarters, should further improve Lumwana’s production capacity,” says Williams.
Process plant recoveries remained at 92%, with some transitional material treated during the quarter. Mining and stockpiling of uranium mineralisation also continued during the quarter. The uranium ore stockpile on the run-of-mine pad currently stands at about three-million tons at 950 parts per million uranium and 0,8% copper.
http://www.miningweekly.com/article/lum ... 2010-04-30
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( Pierre Mac Orlan )
( Pierre Mac Orlan )