Ero Copper recently announced it can increase the grade of copper concentrate it sells after testing about 29,000mt of raw material from the Curaca Valley in Bahia, Brazil.
The company made the discovery during a recent comprehensive ore sorting trail, and now it intends to use a new sorting system that it had been tested through the first three quarters of the year. Although testing will continue through December, the new system will increase ore stripping ratios by about 1.4-2 times what it is now and increase the grade of the copper yield from the ore mined.
Other benefits include reduced water and fuel consumption, as well as lower tailings and transportation costs. This will not only moderate the cost of producing copper concentrate, it will also help the company satisfy new environmental standards. Ero Copper is mainly focused on using the system at its Vermelhos and Pilar Goais mines, which usually produce 2.71pc and 1.97pc grade throughput.