JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Hong Kong- and Australia-listed MMG reported last week that the Las Bambas copper mine, in Peru, had entered commercial production on July 1.
CEO Andrew Michelmore said that the ramp-up of the plant had been achieved on schedule and that commercial production was reached in line with its guidance to the market.
“Las Bambas is a world-class operation that is transformational to MMG,” he commented.
“MMG is emerging as a major copper player – continuing to invest in the down cycle with the support of its major shareholder China Minmetals Corporation.”
The Las Bambas project started producing copper in the fourth quarter of 2015 and delivered its first concentrate on November 26, with the first shipment of product departed for China on January 15 this year.
In the first three months of the year, the operation produced 31 470 t of copper in concentrate.
MMG would provide a second-quarter production update at the end of the month.