The massive new copper mine at Antamina in north-central Peru has shipped its first load of concentrate, putting the project ahead of its scheduled start for commercial production.
The Antamina mill, designed to process 70,000 tonnes of ore daily, is operating at close to that level already. The project’s operators are predicting that the mine will be in full commercial production by the end of the year, two months earlier than expected.
A shipment of 16,200 tonnes of copper concentrate is leaving port for Noranda’s (NRD-T) Murdochville smelter. In late July, it is expected to arrive at Gaspe, Que.
The project, 270 km north of Lima, is slated to produce 300,000 tonnes copper and 280,000 tonnes zinc during its first 10 years of operation.
Noranda, which holds 33.75% of the project, shares ownership with BHP Billiton (BHP-N), which holds 33.75%, Teck (TEK-T), which owns 22.5%, and Mitsubishi, which has 10%.
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