Minsur SA, the world’s fourth-largest tin producer, aims to quadruple production at the Pitinga mine in Brazil in four years, Chief Executive Officer Lucio Pareja told Bloomberg. Pitinga “should be reaching the 10,000 tonnes per year level eventually,” Pareja said in an interview in London. The mine’s output should reach 5,000 to 6,000 tonnes next year, he said, up from 2,500 tonnes in 2011.

Over the last two and a half years the operation has only treated tailings from previous workings, but from February 2012 it will re-commence treatment of ore from the open pit. Minsur has invested heavily in new processing facilities and mining equipment since acquiring the mine in 2008.

Production at the San Rafael mine in Peru will likely stay at 29,000 tonnes next year, Pareja said on the sidelines of ITRI’s Investing in Tin seminar. The high grade San Rafael mine generates over US$600 million per year in operating cash flow, but is currently expected to close in 2017. However Minsur sees good exploration potential in the deeper areas of the underground mine as well as surrounding areas and other parts of the Peruvian high plateau. It will also add to future production capacity by the treatment of San Rafael tailings and slags stockpiled at its Brazilian smelter.