TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – North American base metals miner Thompson Creek Metals on Monday reported that it had produced 29.96-million pounds of molybdenum in 2013, 34% more than the 22.43-million pounds in 2012.

The Denver, Colorado-based company said total molybdenum sales, including third-party purchases, totalled 36.52-million pounds, up from 28.69-million pounds in 2012.

The company's eponymous Thompson Creek mine, in Idaho, produced 20.80-million pounds of molybdenum last year, up from 16.24-million pounds in 2012, while output from the 75%-owned Endako mine, in British Columbia, rose to 9.07-million pounds, up from 6.19-million pounds.

Thompson Creek revealed that since the second quarter of 2013, the company had been negotiating a labour agreement with members of the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union at Endako.

On January 7, the unionised employees approved a new labour deal, which was retroactive to April 1, 2013, and in effect through to March 31, 2015.

“The agreement provides for modest salary and wage increases that management does not believe will have a significant impact on the operation,” Thompson Creek said.

In October, Thompson Creek celebrated the grand opening of the $1.5-billion Mt Milligan mine. Construction began in 2010 and the mine shipped its first concentrate in September 2013.

The company expects its second shipment of copper and gold concentrate from Mt Milligan to occur later this month.

“We are very pleased with the quality of the concentrate, as well as the recoveries of copper and gold at this stage of the ramp-up. Throughput is proving to be a bit challenging, as we continue to experience issues in the grinding and flotation circuits. We believe these typical ramp-up matters will be resolved in due course,” CEO Jacques Perron said.