Trevali expects lower zinc, higher lead output in 2020

Canada-based base metals miner Trevali expects slightly lower zinc production and higher lead output in 2020 after exceeding projections in the prior year.

Trevali forecast 2020 zinc production at 380mn-410mn lbs compared to the record 417.4mn lbs produced in 2019 on lower output from its African mines. Zinc production in 2019 exceeded the miner's annual guidance of 361mn-401mn lbs.

Zinc production from the Perkoa mine in Burkina Faso, Trevali's largest, is expected to drop from 180mn lbs in 2019 to 150mn-160mn lbs in 2020. Rosh Pina in Namibia is expected to drop from 92mn lbs to 80mn-90mn lbs.

Despite the dip in projected zinc output, Trevali expects production to be slightly higher in the second half of 2020 because of higher scheduled production rates at its smaller Caribou and Santander mines in New Brunswick and Peru, respectively.

Trevali's lead production in 2020 is projected to grow to 51mn-57mn lbs, up from 50.3mn lbs in 2019, on higher output from the Rosh Pinah and Caribou mines.

By Blake Hurtik