TIDMCAML
RNS Number : 2048V
Central Asia Metals PLC
13 April 2021
13 April 2021
CENTRAL ASIA METALS PLC
('CAML' or the 'Company')
Q1 2021 Operations Update
Central Asia Metals plc (AIM: CAML) today provides a Q1 2021
operations update for the Kounrad dump leach, solvent extraction
and electro-winning ('SX-EW') copper recovery plant in Kazakhstan
('Kounrad') and the Sasa zinc-lead mine in North Macedonia
('Sasa').
Summary
- One lost time injury ('LTI') at Sasa
- Kounrad copper production, 2,880 tonnes
- Sasa zinc in concentrate production, 5,742 tonnes
- Sasa lead in concentrate production, 7,016 tonnes
Outlook
- Full year 2021 guidance
o Copper, 12,500 to 13,500 tonnes
o Zinc in concentrate, 23,000 to 25,000 tonnes
o Lead in concentrate, 30,000 to 32,000 tonnes
CAML production summary
Metal production (tonnes) Q1 2021 Q1 2020
Copper 2,880 3,201
-------- --------
Zinc 5,742 6,127
-------- --------
Lead 7,016 7,607
-------- --------
Nigel Robinson, Chief Executive Officer, commented:
"We are pleased with our production achievements during these
cold winter months but were disappointed to record a lost time
injury at Sasa at the end of March 2021, having previously achieved
786 days without an incident."
Health and Safety
One LTI was recorded at Sasa in March 2021 as a miner injured
his finger. There were no LTIs at Kounrad during the period.
COVID-19 remains a risk to the welfare of CAML employees and
contractors. While there has been no marked increase in COVID-19
diagnoses in and around the Kounrad operation, there has been a
larger number of cases at Sasa and in the nearby towns, coinciding
with improving weather and therefore greater social
interaction.
Kounrad
Kounrad Q1 2021 copper production was 2,880 tonnes, with 100% of
the metal leached from the Western Dumps during the winter period
for the first time. Copper sales during Q1 2021 were 2,875
tonnes.
Sasa
In Q1 2021, mined and processed ore were 207,704 tonnes and
210,413 tonnes respectively. In February, there was a period of
unplanned mill maintenance, which resulted in a loss of production
for up to four days. The average head grades for the period were
3.23% zinc and 3.57% lead. Q1 2021 metallurgical recoveries were
84.5% for zinc and 93.5% for lead.
Sasa produces a zinc concentrate and a separate lead
concentrate. In Q1 2021, 11,521 tonnes of concentrate containing
49.8% zinc and 9,730 tonnes of concentrate containing 72.1% lead
were produced.
Sasa typically receives from smelters approximately 84% of the
value of its zinc in concentrate and approximately 95% of the value
of its lead in concentrate. Accordingly, Q1 2021 payable production
was 4,821 tonnes of zinc and 6,665 tonnes of lead. Given that
deliveries from Sasa to the smelters occur on a regular basis,
payable base metal in concentrate sales for the quarter were
similar at 4,779 tonnes of zinc and 6,686 tonnes of lead.
During Q1 2021, Sasa sold 78,227 ounces of payable silver to
Osisko Gold Royalties, in accordance with its streaming
agreement.
Units Q1 2021 Q1 2020
Ore mined t 207,704 207,788
--------- -------- --------
Plant feed t 210,413 210,664
--------- -------- --------
Zinc grade % 3.23 3.37
--------- -------- --------
Zinc recovery % 84.5 86.4
--------- -------- --------
Lead grade % 3.57 3.82
--------- -------- --------
Lead recovery % 93.5 94.5
--------- -------- --------
Zinc concentrate t (dry) 11,521 12,315
--------- -------- --------
* Grade % 49.8 49.8
--------- -------- --------
* Contained zinc t 5,742 6,127
--------- -------- --------
Lead concentrate t (dry) 9,730 10,560
--------- -------- --------
* Grade % 72.1 72.0
--------- -------- --------
* Contained lead t 7,016 7,607
--------- -------- --------
For further information contact:
Central Asia Metals Tel: +44 (0) 20 7898 9001
Nigel Robinson, CEO
Gavin Ferrar, CFO
Louise Wrathall, Director of Corporate louise.wrathall@centralasiametals.com
Relations
Peel Hunt (Nominated Advisor and Tel: +44 (0) 20 7418 8900
Joint Broker)
Ross Allister
David McKeown
BMO Capital Markets (Joint Broker) Tel: +44 (0) 20 7236 1010
Thomas Rider
Pascal Lussier Duquette
Blytheweigh (PR Advisors) Tel: +44 (0) 20 7138 3204
Tim Blythe
Megan Ray
Rachael Brooks
Note to editors:
Central Asia Metals, an AIM-listed UK company based in London,
owns 100% of the Kounrad SX-EW copper project in central Kazakhstan
and 100% of the Sasa zinc-lead mine in North Macedonia.
For further information, please visit www.centralasiametals.com
and follow CAML on Twitter at @CamlMetals and on LinkedIn at
Central Asia Metals Plc
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