PROCESSING

Kounrad hits production milestone

Producing copper cathode from copper mining waste dumps

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The leaching plant has recently reached the milestone of producing 100,000t of copper cathode. CAML expects to produce copper at Kounrad until 2034.

The copper resources of the project are within the waste dumps that were formed during prior mining activities of the Kounrad deposit, which started in the 1930s.

From the start of CAML's operations through 2019 the C1 cash cost of production has averaged US$0.55 per pound of copper.

Chief executive Nigel Robinson said: "While cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Kazakhstan, there are currently no diagnosed cases of the virus amongst our Kounrad workforce or in the local town of Balkhash, and the production and sales of our copper have not been interrupted."

"We have implemented various health measures on the site, including issuing COVID-19 related personal protective equipment, reinforcing government guidance and hygiene measures and limiting visits to site. Our operations at the Sasa mine in North Macedonia also continue uninterrupted, " he added.

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