Photo by: Bloomberg
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Oz Minerals on Tuesday reported an increase in copper production for the three months to March, as productivity improvement measures at its Malu openpit operation, at the Prominent Hill mine, took effect.
During the quarter, Oz produced 18 182 t of copper, compared with the 18 119 t produced in the previous quarter. Gold production for the quarter under review was down to 33 792 oz, compared with the 37 060 oz delivered in the previous quarter.
Oz noted that 22.2-million tonnes of material was mined from the Malu openpit operation, comprising 2.6-million tonnes of ore and 19.6-million tonnes of waste.
During the quarter under review, the miner focused on its efficiency initiatives, which included optimising haul gradients, benches and flitch heights, working areas, blasting schedules and load and haul cycles, which resulted in continued improvements in operations.
At the Ankata underground mine, Oz mined about 287 000 t of ore, grading 1.57% copper, with 2.28-million tonnes of ore processed through the Prominent Hill plant.
Oz shipped 31 171 t of concentrate during the quarter under review, containing 15 036 t of copper and 35 762 oz of gold, as well as 121 007 oz of silver.