TSX-V- and JSE-listed Alphamin achieved record tin production of 2 898 t at its Mpama North mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the December quarter.
This exceeded guidance of 2 600 t to 2 800 t and was the result of better-than-expected tin feed grades and plant recoveries.
The processing plant performed at an average recovery of 74% for the quarter.
Quarterly sales, however, decreased by 14% as a result of "extreme seasonal rains impacting export road conditions", the company reports.
Alphamin points out that weather stations across the export route reported rainfall above 159% of the long-term mean.
"The short dry-season from January to March allows road maintenance to be done and already road conditions are improving, and we expect to recoup the majority of the quarter’s sales shortfall during the first quarter of this year," the company states.
Alphamin expects to increase annualised contained tin production from the current level of 11 000 t to 13 000 t. This increase is expected from July this year, following the commissioning of the previously announced fine tin recovery plant and a planned increase of 5% to 10% in processed ore volumes.
"On this basis, we expect contained tin production of 5 500 t in the first half of 2021, increasing to 6 500 t in the second half of the year, which would achieve our annualised production goal of 13 000 t thereafter," the company states.