TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – British Columbia-focused base metals producer Imperial Metals has started trucking copper concentrate from the $500-million Red Chris mine, south of Dease Lake in the traditional territory of the Tahltan First Nation.
The TSX-listed miner, which also operated the ill-fated Mount Polley mine, said on Tuesday that the first trucks containing the mine’s first shipments of concentrate since it started first production last month, departed for the Port of Stewart on February 27.
Commissioning of the flotation circuit with low-grade ore started on February 15. During the second week of start-up the mill feed grade was increased using ores from both the East and Main zones. The plant's first full 12-hour operating shift, without stoppage, took place on February 22. The plant milled about 15 500 t during that period.
The 30 000 t/d milling operation processed just more than 193 000 t in February, producing about 2 400 t of copper concentrate.
The commissioning team continued to focus on achieving continuous operations and a consistent final concentrate grade. Once the team was satisfied with the progress in these areas, more emphasis would be placed on metal recoveries and throughput.