JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed Weatherly International produced 4 739 t copper cathode from its Tschudi mine during the December quarter – 11.5% above nameplate capacity and 15% higher than the preceding quarter.
This brought production for the first half of the company’s financial year to 8 843 t or 4% ahead of nameplate capacity.
“This outcome was assisted by some short-term benefits from relatively fast leaching of additional oxide ore mined from an interim pit pushback bringing forward some leaching output,” Weatherly said in its quarterly update to shareholders on Friday.
The improved production levels also resulted in a 16% reduction in Tschudi C1 unit costs to $4 551/t during the three months to December 31.
However, despite the strong December quarter demonstrating the capacity of the Tschudi solvent extraction and electrowinning plant to operate at well above nameplate levels when leaching rates provide sufficient copper into solution, full-year production is not expected to exceed nameplate capacity.