Nevada Copper has restarted its copper mining and processing operations at the Pumpkin Hollow mine.
The firm announced in a media statement on Monday that the mine’s operations resumed on August 20 and it has around 145,149.55mt (160,000 tons) of available material on the mine’s surface to process immediately.
The US-based copper miner is initially using its East North Ventilation Shaft (ENVS) to mine for additional ore until the main shaft becomes operational in Q4 2020, when it is expected to hit full capacity.
Evan Spencer, chief executive officer, Nevada Copper said that the full workforce was now mobilized after more than three months of shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that the mine’s production had undergone a smooth transition during the restart process and is now producing at the levels seen in Q1.
The firm plans to gradually increase production at the mine to make up for lost time due to the pandemic related shutdown, Spencer said.