JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Improved ore production from Aim- and Botswana-listed copper production and exploration company African Copper’s Thakadu openpit copper mine, in Botswana, was expected during the second quarter of the 2014/15 financial year, as the mine’s backlog waste stripping was reduced.

For the three months ended June 30, copper-in-concentrate production fell 12.1% year-on-year to 2 703 t, while volumes processed decreased 6.4% to 169 565 t.

“During the three months, ore mined from the Thakadu pit continued to be affected by the previous mining contractor’s low levels of waste stripping,” the company said in a statement.

African Copper noted, however, that new mining contractor Diesel Power had started mining operations at Thakadu during April, with mining productivity having improved during the June quarter and inroads being made to reduce the backlog waste stripping required to expose ore.

Meanwhile, during the three-month period, African Copper’s Mowana processing plant achieved above-target availability; however, use was variable owing to erratic ore supply from Thakadu.

“We are pleased with the mining progress that Diesel Power is making at the Thakadu pit. With improved ore production from Thakadu and more stable operating conditions at the Mowana plant, we are well positioned to increase production levels for the remainder of our financial year,” African Copper acting CE Jordan Soko commented.

Further, during the quarter, infill drilling was also carried out in the Thakadu pit to allow for the updating of the mine’s geological model, while infill drilling also started at the Mowana pit to enable the recategorisation of the project’s inferred resources to measured and indicated resources, for incorporation into the Mowana life-of-mine plan.

Meanwhile, at the company’s Matsitama project, also in Botswana, exploration activities continued, with work focused on the Phute and Nakalakwana targets, African Copper said.