Canadian mining company Lundin Mining has started production at its Aljustrel mine in southern Portugal, which is expected to "significantly" boost overall production and profits.
Following a fourteen-year maintenance programme, the mine has begun processing ore from the Moinho orebody to produce zinc concentrates, the company has announced.
Lundin says the mine is planned to reach full production during the first quarter of 2009 at a rate of 80,000t of contained zinc, 17,000t of contained lead and 1.25 million ounces of silver.
The company expects Aljustrel to add to overall production and revenue along with several other projects currently under development, including the expansion of zinc production at the Neves-Corvo mine, also in Portugal.
"Within the next four years Lundin Mining's zinc production will triple from current levels and copper production will also substantially increase," says Lundin CEO Karl-Axel Waplan.
Lundin Mining currently owns six operating mines around the world, extracting developing, acquiring and discovering base metal deposits.
By Ozge Ibrahim
