Lafayette still optimizing operations on 3rd week of test run

Australian-owned mining firm Lafayette Philippines Inc. is still optimizing its operations on the third week of its 60-day extended test run, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) said yesterday.

In a report to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Angelo Reyes, MGB chief metallurgist Juancho Pablo Calvez revealed that Lafayette has already started running at 90 percent rated production capacity.

He said Lafayette has already achieved the minimum 25 percent copper content target for its copper concentrate production. Meanwhile, its zinc production has remained low, as it has yet to stabilize its operations.

"Optimization and stabilization of production is being done by determining the efficient operating parameters such as addition of chemicals and mesh grind," Calvez explained.

"The stabilization process is part of the debugging stage, which is a normal procedure in mill start up," he explained.

The initial debugging operation of Lafayette started on the final stage of its initial 30-day test run.

Calvez said that a team of MGB technical personnel is continuously monitoring the debugging, optimization, and stabilization processes at the P1.4-billion Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic project in Albay.

Lafayette has sought for the 60-day extended test run to further its "optimization stage" to make sure that all pre-requisites of the government are complied with by the mine company.

The mine company also asked the government to allow it to test-operate in full-rated capacity.

Specifically, Lafayette wanted to optimize the efficiency of its detoxification circuit, which would only be attained when operating in a 100 percent rated capacity.