By Paul Ploumis 30 Jul 2015 Last updated at 06:23:59 GMT
LIMA (Scrap Monster): Minsur’s Peruvian operation has reported sharp fall in production during the second quarter of the current year. The refined tin production at its Pisco smelter recorded year-on-year decline of 11% during Q2. The quarterly production totaled 5,019 tonnes. Meantime, tin concentrate output from the San Rafael mine declined by 8% to 4,954 tonnes during the quarter. The company cited lower ore head grades for the fall in mine output.
According to the company, head grades declined from 2.44% to 2.09% Sn in Q2 this year when compared with the same quarter a year ago. However, rise in volume of ore has helped to offset the impact on production caused by falling head grade. The volume of treated ore rose nearly 7% to 261,885 tonnes over the previous year in Q2.
The cumulative output of refined tin dropped significantly by 22% during the initial six months of the year. The half-yearly refined tin output totaled 9,794 tonnes in 2015 as against the output of 12,556 tonnes during January through June in 2014. The tin concentrate output during H1 2015 totaled 9,530 tonnes, down 15% when compared with the previous year.
Meantime, Minsur stated that its earlier forecast of 2015 production remains intact. The company had forecast production to range from 20,000 tonnes to 22,000 tonnes during the entire year 2015. It expects that the recent decline in ore grades have now stabilized and forecasts increased production during the second half of the year.
Minsur is a Peru-based mining company engaged in the extraction, foundation and refining of tin and copper. It is also involved in the exploration for new minerals deposits, with a focus on gold, silver, lead, and zinc ores.
