JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – North American mining company Thompson Creek Metals has started commissioning major equipment and components at its British Columbia-based Mount Milligan openpit copper and gold mine’s permanent secondary crushing circuit.
Routine testing and commissioning of all equipment and process circuits will continue over the next few weeks, with first feed through the secondary crusher expected by the end of October.
Thompson Creek CEO Jacques Perron noted this week that total capital expenditure for the project was expected to be between $50-million and $55-million, which would be about $10-million below guidance.
Once completed and commissioned, design average daily mill throughput is expected to increase to 62 500 t/d, or more, from the 60 000 t/d it currently processes.
The mine holds around 2.2-billion pounds of copper in proven and probable reserves, and 5.7-million ounces gold in proven and probable reserves. It has an estimated mine life of 22 years.