Fresnillo produced 13,905mt of lead in the march ending quarter (Q1), up by 15pc from the prior year. Zinc output rose by 4pc to 22,655mt from the prior-year quarter.
Production of both lead and zinc dipped from the preceding quarter due to COVID-19 restrictions. Lead production fell by 7.3pc and zinc was down 8.8pc, from the prior-quarter. The decline was also a result of lower ore grades and recovery rates. Ore grades, however, were better from the prior-year.
| Production (mt) | Q1 2020 | Q1 2019 | Pc Change | Q4 2019 | Pc Change |
| Lead | 13,905 | 12,125 | 15% | 14,997 | -7% |
| Zinc | 22,655 | 21,752 | 4% | 24,832 | -9% |
Fresnillo is constantly reviewing its 2020 guidance and the timeline of commissioned projects amid COVID-19. The company has a total of seven mines, all in Mexico, of which five produce lead and zinc as a by-product.