Imperial Metals Corporation reports quarterly copper and gold production from Mount Polley and Red Chris mines.
Imperial’s production was 12.353 million pounds copper and 12,861 ounces gold, with 7.355 million pounds copper and 10,009 ounces gold coming from Mount Polley and 4.998 million pounds copper and 2,852 ounces gold from its 30 per cent share of Red Chris mine production.
Mount Polley metal production (100 per cent) for the first quarter of 2024 was 7.355 million pounds copper and 10,009
ounces gold, compared to 6.678 million pounds copper and 9,980 ounces gold produced during the first quarter
of 2023.
Mill throughput was up 20.3 per cent, with 1.671 million tonnes being treated compared with 1.390 million tonnes
treated in the first quarter of 2023. Copper production in the first quarter 2024 was up by 10.1 per cent as a result of
the increase in throughput which offset lower grade and recovery compared to first quarter 2023.
Tailings removal from the Springer pit is 84 per cent complete and is expected to be completely removed by early May.
Stripping for the Phase 5 pushback of the Springer pit has begun and approximately 1.7 million tonnes of waste
from this pushback was mined by the end of March 2024.
Red Chris metal production (100 per cent) for the first quarter of 2024 was 16.660 million pounds copper and 9,507
ounces gold, compared to 11.590 million pounds copper and 10,496 ounces gold produced during the same
quarter of 2023.
The 2024 first quarter Red Chris copper production was up 44 per cent compared to the first quarter in 2023 and down
nine per cent for gold compared to the first quarter of 2023. The increase in copper production was a result of a 33 per cent increase in copper grade (0.431 per cent versus 0.325 per cent) and an eight per cent increase in recovery (83.4 per cent versus 77.4 per cent). The drop in gold production in the first quarter was the result of lower gold grade 0.263 g/t gold versus 0.311 g/t gold being treated quarter compared to the same quarter last year