JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed African Copper boosted its third-quarter copper-in-concentrate production to 2 577 t, up 47% on that produced in quarter three of 2011,  on the back on increased throughput at its Botswana-based Mowana and Thakadu mines, the company reported on Thursday.

Ore processed in the quarter increased by some 28% over the same quarter in 2011 to 215 383 t, while copper recovery saw a 20% increase year-on-year to 69.8%.

Ore processed and concentrate produced in the quarter were, however, slightly lower than in the second quarter as a result of the mining of a lower-grade split orebody from the western end of the Thakadu pit in the third quarter, the company said in a statement.    

Meanwhile, copper recovery at the plant had continued to benefit from the increasing proportion of sulphide ore.

In the quarter, the proportion of sulphide ore processed increased from 43% of the total in October, to 70% in November and 86% in December.

African Copper acting CE Jordan Soko said the company was on track to achieve record copper production this year as mine plans continued their successful implementation, resulting in increased throughput, efficiency and plant use.

“The focus now is to exceed these levels as we move into increasing proportions of sulphide ore at Thakadu and to prove up additional resources from our strong portfolio of appraisal and exploration prospects,” he noted.

However, the main mining contract at Thakadu mine, which was due to expire on March 31, was currently under review and in the process of negotiation.

Soko said that, pursuant to this, certain mining equipment had been demobilised and, in the interim, mining operations continued with both the existing main contractor and a second mining contractor who had been on-site at Thakadu since mining started.

As a short-term measure, management was also looking at equipment hire or short-term contracts to augment mining volumes and, as a result of the negotiations around the mining contract, was expecting lower volumes to be mined from Thakadu until additional equipment was delivered and the mining contract review finalised.

“The reduction in mining volumes is likely to result in lower mining costs and any impact on ore delivery during a possible transition phase will be mitigated by the use of oxide-ore stockpiles at both Thakadu and Mowana,” the company said.