Through a Peruvian subsidiary, Oroperu Resources (ORO_-C) is producing zinc, lead, silver and gold at its Neuva Condor mine property near Lima, Peru.
The Vancouver-based junior processed some 9,600 tonnes during a 3-month rehabilitation period completed at the mine site in late 1997. Revenue from ore processed and sold during the preproduction period and the month of December totalled US$618,000.
December’s “break-even production” of 3,440 tonnes represented 185.1 tonnes of lead concentrate, 252.6 tonnes of zinc concentrate, 123.5 oz. gold and 14,645 oz. silver. Oroperu says these figures translate into production increases for each metal of 56%, 248% and 153%, respectively, over the previous months. Metal recoveries also were significantly improved.
While the mine and on-site mill are now operating at the daily rate of 125 tonnes, the workforce is being expanded in order to increase production.
Plans call for the installation of a second mill, which is intended to boost daily production to 250 tonnes, and Kilborn Peru is evaluating the timing and feasibility of increasing production beyond this level. In the meantime, exploration work will continue with two newly purchased drills.
Oroperu has more than 83,000 ha of ground in Peru, including an interest in Tres Cruces, a gold discovery in north-central Peru. The company and partner Pan American Silver (PAA-T) are carrying out a metallurgical study on drill-core samples. A geophysical program, scheduled to begin shortly, will further define targets for the next round of drilling.
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