Mitsui Mining & Smelting Restarts Pallca Zinc Mine

Mitsui Mining & Smelting decided to restart operation of Pallca zinc mine of Peru while the mine stopped the mining since 2008 end due to plunge of zinc market. The mine started the operation after 10 months of stoppage when the zinc market recovers. The mine will ramp up the operation to full capacity level in April 2010.

The mine restarted the operation in October and plans to make 10,000 tonnes of ore in 2009 or 130 tonnes per day, which is around 25% of the normal production. The mine targets normal operation of 500 tonnes per day in April 2010.

The mine, which is located in around 400 kilometers north of Lima, started operation in 2006. Compania Minera Santa Luisa, of which Mitsui Mining & Smelting controls 70%, operates the mine and utilizes ore treatment facility at Huanzala mine, which is around 40 km north of Pallca. Huanzala mine facility treats total 1,600 tonnes of ore per day, in which 500 tonnes from Pallca. The facility produced 83,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate with 48.3% zinc.

Mitsui Mining & Smelting stopped Pallca mining operation at 2008 end to save transport cost to Huanzala ore treatment facility while the firm increased the production at Huanzala from 1,100 tonnes per day to 1,600 tonnes to keep the concentrate production. The firm reduces the Huanzala ore production to 1,100 tonnes level after Pallca resumes the normal production.