A view of the Mantoverde site. Credit: Capstone Copper.
Capstone Copper (TSX: CS; ASX: CSC) has warned of a temporary output hit at its Mantoverde sulphide operation in Chile after both ball mill drive motors failed within a week, forcing the concentrator to run at roughly half capacity while repairs are made.
The company expects a four-week repair window and estimates a 3,000–4,000 tonne reduction in copper-in-concentrate during the period. It is investigating the root cause and is pulling forward maintenance originally slated for later in September to soften the impact.
Capstone said one of Mantoverde’s two ball mill motors failed on August 24, was replaced with a spare, and then the second motor failed on August 30, leaving no additional spare on site. The plant is configured to bypass the mill and continue at reduced rates, a mode the team has used before, the company noted.
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