Teck Cominco declares lead force majeureTeck Cominco (TEK-T) has declared force majeure on deliveries of refined lead from its Trail Metallurgical Operations in southeast British Columbia.
On Feb. 3, Teck said an explosion inside the KIVCET lead furnace at Trail caused extensive damage to the furnace’s boiler system. No one was injured in the blast.
After a preliminary investigation Teck said it expected the furnace to resume operation in the second half of March, with deliveries resuming some time in April.
A full investigation into the cause of the incident and the cost of repairs is under way. Representatives from the United Steelworkers of America Local 480, the Workers Compensation Board and the provincial boiler inspection are on site.
On Feb. 9, Teck said refining of in-process material would continue for about two weeks. Zinc production was unaffected.
The Trail complex is one of the world’s largest fully integrated, zinc and lead smelting and refining complexes, with the capacity to produce around 290,000 tonnes of zinc and 120,000 tonnes of lead annually. In 2003, Trail produced 283,000 tonnes of refined zinc and 88,000 tonnes of refined lead.
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