Nevsun Ships First Zinc Concentrate From Bisha


A view of the zinc regrind circuit in a new flotation facility at Bisha. The expanded plant has
produced about 40,000 mt of zinc concentrate since early June. (Photo: Nevsun Resources)
Nevsun Resources sold and shipped the first zinc concentrate from its Bisha mine in Eritrea in early September. The 10,000-metric-ton (mt) lot was loaded at the Port of Massawa and sailed on September 7. The concentrate was sold on the spot market, attracting multiple offers and highly competitive treatment charges, according to the company.

Nevsun completed construction of the new zinc concentrator at Bisha operations and began commissioning the plant in early June. The company previously produced copper concentrates from the Bisha deposit’s copper-enriched supergene zone, which overlies a primary sulphide zone containing both zinc and copper. The new zinc flotation plant adds to existing copper flotation, and Nevsun now expects to produce both zinc and copper concentrates throughout Bisha’s currently planned nine-year mine life.

Bisha production is forecast to average more than 100,000 mt/y of zinc and 20,000 mt/y of copper in concentrates. The processing plants have excess capacity to absorb additional feed that might come from deposits currently being defined both at Bisha and on nearby Nevsun properties.

Nevsun CEO Cliff Davis said, “We are pleased to have a high-quality zinc product coming to market in an environment of rising zinc prices. Bisha is producing the only significant new zinc concentrate coming to market in 2016, and we are being aggressively courted for offtake by various customers.”

As featured in Womp 2016 Vol 10 - www.womp-int.com