TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Multinational miner Sherritt International has reported much-improved quarter-over-quarter operating metrics at its Ambatovy nickel/cobalt project, in Madagascar.
For July, finished nickel output was 1 694 t (4 236 t on a 100% basis), or about 83% of nameplate capacity, and finished cobalt output was 128 t (318 t on a 100% basis).
Ore throughput in the pressure acid leach (PAL) circuit was 470 050 t on a 100% basis, or about 94% of nameplate capacity.
Sherritt reported that finished nickel and cobalt output improved following the successful return to service of one of the two ore thickeners on July 7, which had improved ore density to the PAL circuit to near-design levels. The second ore thickener remained on schedule for a return to service in September.
Ambatovy, which was busy ramping up to the coveted 90% of design capacity for 90 days – the threshold for declaring commercial production – was a vertically integrated nickel and cobalt mining, processing, refining and marketing joint venture between subsidiaries of Sherritt (40%), Sumitomo (27.5%), Korea Resources (27.5%) and SNC-Lavalin (5%). Sherritt was the operator of the facilities.