Antofagasta Releases Los Pelambres Update

In a Tuesday (May 8) press release Chilean Miner Antofagasta (LSE:ANTO) announced that a blockage at its Los Pelambres processing plant had trimmed copper production for the half-year.

In the release the company said that the blockage had been discovered after an April 16 preventative maintenance check, which resulted in the pipeline being suspended immediately. It’s since been cleared and normal operations had since resumed as of May 5.

As quoted in the press release:

Throughout the period the pipeline has been suspended, the mining operation and processing plant have continued to operate normally with concentrates being stockpiled at the plant, and shipments from the port have been rescheduled.

It is estimated that it will take up to 3 months for the stockpiles at the plant and the port to return to normal levels. The cause of the blockage has been identified and maintenance procedures have been altered accordingly.

The impact of the blockage on production, which is measured as the quantity filtered at the port, for the six months to 30 June is estimated to be approximately 10,000 tonnes of copper.

Click here to view the full Antofagasta (LSE:ANTO) press release.