JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – In its first year of commercial production, Trevali Mining’s Santander mine, in Peru, delivered 50.4-million pounds of zinc, 23.3-million pounds of lead and 914 600 oz of silver, exceeding expected output.
Production for the fourth quarter, ended December 31, was 11.2-million pounds of zinc, 7.1-million pounds of lead and 241 600 oz of silver.
“We are encouraged with our first commercial production year at Santander and particularly pleased with the fourth quarter mill performance where we achieved above design throughput and recoveries of all metals.
“We will continue to focus on site optimisation and business efficiencies in 2015 in order to maximise site performance prior to anticipated zinc price strengthening later this year as global supply constraints are forecast to commence,” commented Trevali president and CEO Dr Mark Cruise.
Trevali set a production guidance of between 48-million and 50-million pounds of zinc, 23-million to 25-million pounds of lead and 850 000 oz to 950 000 oz of silver at Santander this year.
Cruise stated that 2015 would likely be another milestone year for the company, as it continued to build on the successes achieved at Santander and as its Caribou mine and mill complex, in New Brunswick, Canada, was commissioned in the second quarter of the year.