Baku, Azerbaijan, July 28
By Elena Kosolapova – Trend:
Kazakhstan’s mining company KAZ Minerals PLC produced 52,600 tons of copper cathode equivalent in H1 of 2016 compared to 36,700 tons in 1H of 2015, the company reported on July 28.
The company produced 53,300 tons of copper in concentrate during the reporting period compared to 43,300 tons in the same period of 2015.
KAZ Minerals extracted 22.1 million tons of ore in H1 of 2016 compared to 2.48 million tons in the same period of 2015. The increase in ore extraction reflects the commencement of mining at Bozshakol and Aktogay in the second half of 2015, the company said.
The average copper content in the ore was 0.65 percent in 1H of 2016 compared to 2.04 percent in 1H of 2015. The reduction in the group’s average copper grade reflects the transition to extraction at the new open pit mines where grades are lower than at other group’s assets.
The company produced 39,600 tons of zinc in concentrate during the reporting period compared to 49,900 tons in the same period of 2015.
Silver bar equivalent production hit 1.43 ounces in 1H of 2016 compared to 1.66 million ounces in the same period of 2015.
Group gold bar equivalent output increased by more than 2.4 times from 16,100 ounces to 39,100 ounces due to the new production from Bozshakol and increased volumes from Bozymchak.
KAZ Minerals PLC is a high growth copper company focused on large scale, low cost, open pit mining in Kazakhstan. It operates four mines and three concentrators in the East Region of Kazakhstan, the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan, the Bozshakol open pit copper mine in the Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan and the oxide phase of the Aktogay project.
Edited by SI
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