Orvana Minerals has begun the phased restart of its Don Mario processing plant in Bolivia.
Empresa Minera Paitití (EMIPA), the Bolivian subsidiary of Orvana, has initiated the first phase by bringing the comminution and thickening circuits back online to supply feed to the gold-silver circuit.
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Performance testing of these circuits is set to continue until mid-January 2026.
The copper circuit, part of the plant’s expansion, is set to be commissioned in the latter half of the same month.
A controlled ramp-up of all circuits will then take place from February to April 2026.
The expansion project encompasses the installation of new facilities for copper oxide processing, including acid leaching, filtration, solvent extraction, and electrowinning to produce copper cathodes.
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By GlobalDataAdditionally, the gold-silver and detox circuits are being upgraded to enhance throughput and technological performance.
The project also involves a comprehensive overhaul of existing comminution and thickening circuits, along with business-readiness initiatives.
These initiatives include improvements to power generation, laboratories, warehouses and workshops, along with recruitment and training of personnel.
EMIPA is currently conducting final on-site pilot testing alongside commissioning activities.
Once completed, the results from this pilot testing, combined with existing metallurgical data, are expected to enable the company to revise its metal production estimates from processing the oxide stockpiles at Don Mario.
The company plans to release updated information upon validating the testing results.
Orvana CEO Juan Gavidia said: “The restart of the Don Mario plant represents an important milestone for Orvana as we advance the commissioning of our expanded processing facilities.
“Our focus remains on executing a disciplined and phased start-up designed to manage commissioning risk, validate plant performance and position the operation for a controlled ramp-up in 2026.”
Orvana is a multi-mine company focused on gold, copper and silver, with a portfolio that includes the operating Orovalle mine in northern Spain, the Don Mario site in Bolivia and the Taguas property in Argentina.
