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AKTOGAY COMMENCES PRODUCTION OF COPPER CONCENTRATE

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RNS Number : 7542W
KAZ Minerals PLC
13 February 2017
 


 

KAZ MINERALS PLC

6TH FLOOR

CARDINAL PLACE

100 VICTORIA STREET

LONDON SW1E 5JL

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7901 7800

 

 

 

 

13 February 2017

 

AKTOGAY COMMENCES PRODUCTION OF COPPER CONCENTRATE

 

KAZ Minerals PLC ("KAZ Minerals" or "the Group") announces that it has produced its first saleable copper concentrate from sulphide ore at the Aktogay project, consistent with the Group's most recent guidance for output to commence in the first quarter of 2017. Shipments of concentrate from Aktogay are expected to begin imminently.

 

The Aktogay sulphide concentrator will now ramp up with the target of achieving commercial levels of output in the second half of 2017. Production guidance for Aktogay in 2017 will be issued along with the Group's full year results announcement on 23 February 2017.

 

Oleg Novachuk, Chief Executive, said: "I am delighted to be able to announce the commencement of copper concentrate output from sulphide ore at Aktogay. Both of the Group's major growth projects are now fully operational. Our production continues to grow strongly and is on track to reach 300 kt of copper per annum by 2018, with around 80% coming from our new low cost, open pit mines."

 

For further information please contact:

 

KAZ Minerals PLC



Chris Bucknall

Investor Relations, London

Tel: +44 20 7901 7882

Anna Mallere

Investor Relations, London

Tel: +44 20 7901 7814

Maksut Zhapabayev

Corporate Communications, Almaty

Tel: +7 727 244  03 53

Instinctif Partners



David Simonson


Tel: +44 20 7457 2020

 

REGISTERED OFFICE

6th Floor, Cardinal Place, 100 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5JL, United Kingdom.



 

NOTES TO EDITORS

KAZ Minerals PLC ("KAZ Minerals" or "the Group") is a high growth copper company focused on large scale, low cost, open pit mining in Kazakhstan. It operates three mines and three concentrators in the East Region of Kazakhstan, the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan, the Bozshakol open pit copper mine in the Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan and the Aktogay open pit copper mine in the East Region of Kazakhstan. In 2016, total copper cathode equivalent output was 140 kt with by-products of 75 kt of zinc in concentrate, 120 koz of gold bar equivalent and 3,103 koz of silver bar equivalent.

 

The Group's major growth projects at Bozshakol and Aktogay are expected to deliver one of the highest growth rates in the industry and transform KAZ Minerals into a company dominated by world class, open pit copper mines.

 

Bozshakol is a first quartile asset on the global cost curve and will have an annual ore processing capacity of 30 million tonnes when fully ramped up, with a mine life of 40 years at a copper grade of 0.36%. The mine and processing facilities will produce 100 kt of copper cathode equivalent and 120 koz of gold in concentrate per year over the first 10 years of operations.

 

Aktogay is a large scale, open pit mine similar to Bozshakol, with a mine life of more than 50 years and average copper grades of 0.37% (oxide) and 0.33% (sulphide). Aktogay commenced production of copper cathode from oxide ore in December 2015 and copper in concentrate production from sulphide ore in February 2017. The sulphide concentrator will have an annual ore processing capacity of 25 million tonnes when fully ramped up. Aktogay is competitively positioned on the global cost curve and will produce an average of 90 kt of copper cathode equivalent from sulphide ore and 15 kt of copper cathode from oxide ore per year over the first 10 years of operations.

 

KAZ Minerals is listed on the London Stock Exchange, the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and employs around 13,000 people, principally in Kazakhstan.

 

This announcement contains inside information.


This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
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