Breakwater Resources (BWR-T) reports that milling improvements at its Nanisivik zinc mine on Baffin Island are partly responsible for a boost in earnings last year.
The remote operation turned a profit of $12.4 million in 1997 (its first full year of operation under Breakwater), compared with $5.4 million in 1996. A record 805,338 tonnes were mined, and procedures were established to allow for the safe recovery of high-grade pillars in the Main zone.
The installation of a regrind circuit in the mill lifted the zinc concentrate grade to 57.5% from 55.5% and increased recovery by 0.5%, to 96.5%. These improvements resulted in savings of about $1.4 million in shipping and treatment costs, the company reports.
Mill throughput totalled 779,000 tonnes grading 7% zinc, which yielded 93,300 tonnes of zinc concentrate containing 52,600 tonnes of zinc and 540,000 oz. silver.
Breakwater also operates El Mochito, a zinc-lead-silver mine in Honduras, and the Caribou zinc mine in New Brunswick.
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