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Konkola Copper Mines copper production improves-2018 China(Guangzhou)Int¡¯l Non-Ferrous Metal£¨Copper£©Exhibition
8/2/2017 Copper exhibition -non-ferrous metals expo |
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Lusaka Times reported that Konkola Copper Mines saw production improvement at its Konkola Deep Mine and the Nchanga open pit, with integrated production up 9% for the quarter ended June 30 ¨C the first quarter of its 2018 financial year. Mined metal production was up by 35% quarter-on-quarter to 20 000 tonne during the period.
This was as a result of improvement in equipment availability at the Konkola mine, increased throughput at the Nchanga operations and an improvement in tailings leach plant availability.
Fleet availability at the Konkola mine further improved to 53% in the current quarter, compared with 23% in the previous quarter.
Productivity improvements at the Nchanga open pits, in addition to concentrator plant availability of 88% and TLP availability of 86%, led to integrated production of 8 000 tonne in June, with the trend having continued into July.
Mined metal production was, however, 30% lower year-on-year, mainly as a result of lower equipment availability at Konkola mine and availability at TLP compared with last year.
This has now improved significantly, according to Vedanta.
Custom volumes were 56% higher year-on-year to 27 000 tonne, owing to improved third-party concentrate availability and the company¡¯s ability to handle feed rates greater than 70 tonne/h at the smelter, following the biennial shutdown during the third quarter of the 2017 financial year.
Custom volumes, however, fell by 17% quarter-on-quarter as a result of relatively lower availability of local concentrate.
Vedanta CEO Tom Albanese noted in a statement released that Vedanta was working to optimise costs at its Zambia copper operations.
Vedanta further reported that Phase 1 of the elevated temperature leaching project targeted at improving TLP recoveries is under stabilisation, with the company in the process of appointing an engineering consultant for Phase 2.
Meanwhile, construction of the heap leach pilot test pads is progressing well, with commissioning expected before the third quarter of the current financial year.
Further, preliminary proposals have been received on the cobalt project and the identification of an offtake and techno-economic partner through a request for proposal-led process is under way.
This is expected to be completed before the third quarter of the 2018 financial year.
-2018 China(Guangzhou)Int¡¯l
Non-Ferrous
Metal£¨Copper£©Exhibition
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