Sep 23 2019
Dundee Precious Metals, Inc. has announced that the yearly maintenance shutdown at its Tsumeb smelter unit initially scheduled for the fourth quarter has been advanced to ensure safe operation and top performance.
We are confident that following the annual shutdown that Tsumeb will continue its recent track record of generating positive free cash flow for the Company.
Rick Howes, President and CEO, Dundee Precious Metals, Inc.
During the recommencement of operations after a 14-day outage, Dundee Precious Metals, Inc. found a safety issue with the Ausmelt lining and felt it important to complete the yearly maintenance earlier than scheduled.
The yearly shutdown involves replacing the Ausmelt lining and several upgrades to the off-gas systems and acid plant. It is estimated to take 28 days to be done.
Due to the downtime related to the latest maintenance schedule, the company has decreased its guidance for Tsumeb to between 210,000 and 230,000 tons of complex concentrate smelted for 2019. The next Ausmelt shutdown is not likely until 2021, enabling extra smelter throughput in 2020.
Source: https://www.dundeeprecious.com/English/Home/default.aspx