JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Toronto- and New York-listed First Majestic Silver on Friday reported that production had started at its Mexico-based Del Toro silver operation, which was inaugurated earlier in the week.
Underground development within the San Juan, Perseverancia/San Nicolas and Dolores mines that made up the Del Toro operation, produced 97 700 t of stockpiled ore, which was currently supplying feed to the processing plant.
First Majestic Silver anticipated commercialisation of the 1 000 t/d flotation circuit to be completed by April 1.
The company indicated that further development in the first half of 2013 would be focused on preparing the mines for Phase 2 production, which would include the addition of a 1 000 t/d cyanidation circuit. Phase 2 start-up was expected by July 1, at which time, the mill was expected to be running at a combined throughput rate of 2 000 t/d.
"The start-up of the Del Toro silver mine marks a very important milestone for First Majestic. This year, the company will celebrate its ten-year anniversary by breaking through ten-million ounces of silver production as a result of Del Toro coming on stream.
“I would like to send my deepest appreciation to everyone on our team who have all worked so hard in getting our fifth producing mine up and running," First Majestic Silver president and CEO Keith Neumeyer said in a statement.
Meanwhile, First Majestic Silver remained on schedule for the third and final phase of production, which would see the flotation and cyanidation circuits reach a capacity of 2 000 t/d each by the third quarter of 2014.
By this time, Del Toro was expected to become the company's largest operation and was projected to produce about six-million ounces of silver a year, as well as significant amounts of lead and zinc.