Trevali zinc output jumps on African mines

Vancouver-based Trevali Mining more than tripled its zinc production in the second quarter from a year earlier, reflecting production from two mines in Africa the company acquired last year.

Payable zinc output rose to 103.9mn lbs in the quarter from 31.6mn lbs a year earlier, the company said in a production report. Lead output fell to 10.5mn lbs from 12mn lbs a year earlier.

The company closed the $464mn acquisition of zinc assets from Glencore on 31 August 2017, including an 80pc interest in the Rosh Pinah mine in Namibia, a 90pc interest in the Perkoa mine in Burkina Faso and an effective 39pc interest in the Gergarub project in Namibia.

Trevali remains "firmly on track" to produce 400mn-427mn lbs of payable zinc this year and 43.8mn-46mn lbs of payable lead.

Its Perkoa mine in Burkina Faso produced 49.7mn lbs of payable zinc in the second quarter, up from 47.4mn lbs in the first quarter. The company raised its zinc guidance by 9mn lbs to 164mn-174mn lbs of payable zinc at that mine this year.

Its Rosh Pinal mine in Namibia produced 20.8mn lbs of payable zinc in the quarter, down from 22.8mn lbs in the first quarter because of non-optimal operations. Guidance was reduced by 10mn lbs to 95mn-105mn lbs.

Lead output was 2.1mn lbs, down from 3.9mn lbs. The mine is expected to produce as much as 6mn lbs of payable lead this year.

Caribou in eastern Canada produced 20.5mn lbs of payable zinc, up from 19mn lbs in the first quarter. Lead output fell to 6.5mn lbs from 7.2mn lbs.

The mine is expected to produce up to 90mn lbs of zinc and up to 28.4mn lbs of lead this year.

Santander in Peru produced 16.4mn lbs of payable zinc, up from 10.9mn lbs of payable zinc in the first quarter. Lead output rose to 1.9mn lbs from 1.2mn lbs. The mine is expected to produce up to 58mn lbs of zinc and up to 11.6mn lbs of payable lead this year.