European mining and development company Atalaya Mining on Thursday reported record fourth-quarter copper production of 13 527 t, boosting full-year output to 44 950 t.
The fourth-quarter production compares with 11 172 t produced a year earlier, while the full-year production was a 6.7% improvement on the 42 114 t produced in 2018.
Production at Proyecto Riotinto, in Spain, benefited from the recently completed expansion. The processing plant is fully commissioned and operating at an increased yearly rate of 15-million tonnes a year, Atalaya reported.
The miner achieved a yearly recovery rate of 87.09%, compared with 88.30% in 2018.
For 2020, production is forecast to be between 55 000 t and 58 000 t.