Central Asia Metals plc (CAM) reduced company debt during 2020 and maintained steady production at its Kounrad copper recovery plant in Kazakhstan and Sasa zinc-lead mine in North Macedonia.
The base metal company’s Q4 and 2020 full year results showed cash in the bank on 31 December 2020 was reported at $47.9 million and gross debt as at 31 December 2020 was $80.4m (including drawn North Macedonian overdraft facilities totalling $9.7m). During 2020, the group repaid $38.4m of debt.
Copper production at Kounrad – a dump leach, solvent extraction and electro-winning (SX-EW) copper recovery plant – was within increased guidance range at 13,855 tonnes produced.
Total copper production since operations began in 2012 is now 110,100 tonnes. Copper sales during Q4 2020 were 3,272t, bringing the total for 2020 to 13,860t
CAM also reported strong zinc and lead production last year at Sasa despite tailings storage facility 4 (TSF4) related shutdown.
| Metal production (tonnes) | Q4 2020 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Copper | 3,365 | 13,855 | 13,771 |
| Zinc | 5,848 | 23,815 | 23,369 |
| Lead | 7,442 | 29,742 | 29,201 |
Zinc in concentrate production was within the guidance range at 23,815t and lead in concentrate production was within 1% of the guidance range at 29,742t.
One Kounrad employee has tested positive for Covid-19 and there are currently no cases at Sasa.
| Units | Q4 2020 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| Ore mined | t | 208,181 | 826,421 | 817,714 |
| Plant feed | t | 207,499 | 820,215 | 820,491 |
| Zinc grade | % | 3.28 | 3.37 | 3.29 |
| Zinc recovery | % | 86.1 | 86.1 | 86.5 |
| Lead grade | % | 3.80 | 3.85 | 3.77 |
| Lead recovery | % | 94.5 | 94.3 | 94.5 |
| Zinc concentrate | t (dry) | 11,625 | 47,583 | 47,104 |
| – Grade | % | 50.3 | 50.0 | 49.6 |
| – Contained zinc | t | 5,848 | 23,815 | 23,369 |
| Lead concentrate | t (dry) | 10,284 | 41,289 | 40,366 |
| – Grade | % | 72.4 | 72.0 | 72.3 |
| – Contained lead | t | 7,442 | 29,742 | 29,201 |
For the coming year, the company issued a production guidance for copper at 12,500 to 13,500t; zinc in concentrate, 23,000 to 25,000t; and lead in concentrate, 30,000 to 32,000t.
TAILINGS LEAKAGE REMEDIATION
At Sasa, Phase 1 has been completed of the remediation programme for Kamenka River following the TSF4 leakage.
CAM estimated that by the end of 2020, more than 95% of the tailings from the leakage had been removed from the river.
The remaining tailings will be removed this year, with the sediment traps already in place and collecting material.
Vegetation and trees will be replanted along the riverbanks and algae and macro-invertebrate regeneration will be monitored.