Chicago 06/01/2016 - Canada's Imperial Metals Corp has suspended copper pit operations at its Huckleberry mine in British Columbia, the company said in a release on Wednesday.
Vancouver-based Imperial cited increasing operating costs and falling prices as the key reasons for the suspension. Comex copper was last trading at $2.0875 per pound.
The mine was forecasted to produce 19,958 tonnes in 2015, after 15,430 tonnes in 2014.
Imperial has a 50 percent stake in the Huckleberry mine - which also produces silver and gold – and the move is expected to lay off roughly 100 of the existing 260 employees.
Imperial's shares were last down 10.1 percent at C$5.94 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
(Editing by Tom Jennemann)