PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Lithium miner Orocobre is expecting sales volumes for the June quarter to reach about 1 600 t of lithium carbonate, with product pricing expected to be around $4 015/t free on board.
The sales volumes for the June quarter compared with the 2 513 t sold in the March quarter, which was down from the 3 287 t sold in the December quarter.
The ASX- and TSX-listed company told shareholders on Thursday that Covid-19 restrictions had limited the ability of both the company and its customers to complete sales during the June quarter, and while most logistical issues have now been addressed, delivery of product is yet to return to normal as customers delayed shipments owing to lower production and excess inventory.
Olaroz’s maintenance schedule for August will be brought forward to late July or early August, and will be entirely completed by internal staff and resources, in order to minimise cost.
The company expects operations to cease for up to three weeks while maintenance tasks are undertaken, with expenditure on parts and equipment to be less than $1-million.
Orocobre told shareholders that the company continued to actively manage inventory while sales were reduced, and would match production levels to expected shipment volumes.