Modern Mining August 2015

MINING News

The Kansanshi smelter, which has now achieved commercial production (photo: FQM).

In its report for the three months ended June 30, First QuantumMinerals (FQM) says that its new smelter at the Kansanshi cop- per mine in Zambia reached commercial production status ahead of expectation. During the six-month commission- ing and ramp-up period, approximately First Quantum reports on progress of Zambian projects 157 600 tonnes of copper concentrate was processed consisting of a mixture of stockpiled and fresh concentrate from FQM’s Kansanshi mine and fresh con- centrate from its new Sentinel mine in north-west Zambia. Production totalled 46 700 tonnes of copper anode and

201 300 tonnes of sulphuric acid. The smelter recorded throughput of over 80 000 tonnes during the month of June, representing 76 % of design capac- ity, and smelter recovery rates were above design rates in the same period. Commissioning progress continued at

The Sentinel mine showing the stockpile area. Sentinel will have the capacity to produce up to 300 000 t/a of copper over a 15-year mine life (photo: FQM).

6  MODERN MINING  August 2015