Copper Mountain finalized the first stage of a 5,000 mt/d copper mill expansion with the commissioning of direct flotation reactors at its ore processing facilities in British Columbia, Canada, the company said July 8.
"The installation of the DFRs increases the efficiency and the capacity of the current cleaner circuit, which is expected to increase copper concentrate grade from about 25% to 28%, resulting in lower concentrate transportation, smelting and refining costs," Copper Mountain said in a statement.
The mill expansion will increase Copper Mountain's daily copper ore throughout capacity to 45,000 mt from 40,000 mt.
The second stage of the mill expansion involves the installation of a third ball mill, CEO Gil Clausen said.
The ball mill installation was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of 2020. In March, Copper Mountain said the project was indefinitely deferred due to market conditions and near-term copper price uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
"We have the ability to rapidly restart this stage as we have maintained long lead time expenditures and we also have the flexibility to accelerate the project as necessary," Clausen said.
The second stage of the mill expansion would increase the company's annual copper output by 15%-18% due to higher throughput capacity and improved ore recoveries," he said.
Copper Mountain produced 71.95 million lb of copper in 2019, and its 2020 guidance projects output between 70 million lb and 75 million lb.
