The Cobre Panama plant.
Toronto-listed First Quantum has been given the green light to resume normal operations at its Cobre Panama mine, after being ordered to shut the mine in early April, owing to Covid-19 cases.
The copper/gold miner said this week that it would implement a reopening plan, which provided for a phased increase of on-site personnel, while production was ramped up to an 85-million-tonne-a-year throughput rate.
The operation would ramp up to full production by mid-August, First Quantum stated.
There were currently about 800 personnel on site and the mine had not reported any Covid-19 cases since April 30.
“The lifting of the suspension order is testament to the hard work from each and every person on the site, working away from their families over the past weeks,” commented Cobre Panama GM Gordon White.
The company said it would provide an updated 2020 production guidance for Cobre Panama with the second quarter results in late July. The mine's guidance for the year wasto produce between 210 000 t and 235 000 t of copper and between 90 000 oz and 100 000 oz of gold.
Cobre Panama was placed on care and maintenance on April 6.