Singapore 20/05/2016 - Avanco Resources is aiming to increase copper production at its Antas copper mine to 15,000 tonnes per year by 2018, before lifting its total copper capacity to around 50,000 tonnes per year in 4-5 years’ time via the completion of its Pedra Branca copper project in Brazil, the Australia-listed miner said in presentation materials this week.
The Antas copper mine in the Carajás Mineral province in northern Brazil was commissioned in April, of which will produce 12,000 tonnes per year of copper when in full production. It has produced around 4,000 tonnes of concentrate to date and is on target to start commercial production this quarter.
Avanco has two offtake contracts for Antas’ clean concentrates. It has since shipped around 3,000 wet metric tonnes of concentrate from the commissioning phase.
Planning is underway to develop the significantly larger Pedra Branca underground project also in Carajás Mineral province which will have good infrastructure and access to Antas’ plant for processing, the company said.
The development of the Pedra Branca project will “establish Avanco as a profitable, long life miing company production around 50,000 tonnes per year of copper,” it added.