<article><p class="lead">Australia-based mining firm MMG's copper concentrate production fell by 18.6pc last year, mainly because of workforce constraints at its Las Bambas mine site in Peru during the Covid-19 pandemic.</p><p>The Chinese-owned company produced 312,557t of copper concentrates and 72,007t of copper cathode in 2020, compared with 384,028t and 67,935t respectively in 2019. Production from MMG's flagship Las Bambas copper project made up 99.5pc or 311,020t of copper concentrates output, while all its copper cathode comes from the Kinsevere smelter in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. </p><p>The workforce at Las Bambas increased to over 90pc of capacity during the fourth quarter, up from an average of <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2153655">65-80pc in July-September period</a>.</p><p>This helped send Las Bambas' copper production to 95,236t in the fourth quarter, up by 13pc from 84,086t in the previous quarter. </p><p>Inbound and outbound mine logistics were disrupted for a total of 107 days last year, including 43 days of Covid-19 related restrictions and 64 days because of local issues. </p><p>"Community disruptions across Peru have escalated during the second half [of 2020] as a result of political instability," the company said. </p><p>Las Bambas' shipments <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2175815">had recovered</a> as of 10 January. </p><p>Copper cathode production at Kinsevere increased by 6pc to 72,007t in 2020 thanks to a rise in both copper grades and throughput. </p><p>MMG produced 245,097t of zinc concentrates and 47,119t of lead concentrates in 2020. Zinc and lead production comes from its Australian Dugald River zinc-lead mine and Rosebery zinc-lead-copper mines respectively.</p></article>
