An explosion inside the Kivcet lead furnace at Trail caused extensive damage to the boiler system. No one was injured.
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 inspector are on site.
Teck says refining of in-process material will continue for about two weeks. Zinc production is unaffected.
Trail is one of the world’s largest zinc-lead smelters, with the capacity to produce 290,000 tonnes zinc and 120,000 tonnes lead annually.
In 2003, Trail produced 283,000 tonnes of refined zinc and 88,000 tonnes of refined lead. Trail also sold 769 gigawatt-hours of surplus power — a 12% rise from 2002. The average realized power price was US$43 per MW-hour. Power contributed $26 million to operating profits for 2003.
Be the first to comment on "Teck Cominco declares force majeure at Trail"