Minsur’s Brazilian subsidiary, Taboca, produced 1,514 tonnes of refined tin in Q2 2016, up 1 tonne on the same period of 2015, according to the company’s consolidated operating results, released earlier today. Output from the Pitinga mine totalled 1,680 tonnes of tin-in-concentrate for the same period, up just 8 tonnes on 2015.

The volume of ore treated at the Pitinga mine in Q2 rose 8% to 1.59 Mt, while tin head grades rose 1% to 0.21% Sn relative to the second quarter of 2015. However, this was offset by lower tin recoveries hence the marginal increase in tin production for the quarter. Minsur’s refined tin production from Brazil for the first half of the year totalled 2,410 tonnes, down 8% year-on-year, while mine production fell 3% to 3,174 tonnes.

Quarterly cash costs at Pitinga, net of by-product credit, rose 22% year-on-year to US$16,885, due to a 21% fall in NbTa production and the extraordinary cost of running diesel generators for electricity, both factors being a result of power supply issues during essential repairs at the mine’s hydroelectric plant. However, the company has reported that reconstruction of the power plant’s dike remains on schedule, with completion targeted for the third quarter of the year. A flotation plant expansion, designed to increase production capacity of Niobium and tantalum alloy at Pitinga to 4,400 tpy, is also expected to be in operation by the end of 2016.