Mineweb
Peru reports 2012 production increases in copper and silver, gold output drops
Peru’s Ministry of Mines says the county’s copper production was up 5.12%, lead up 8.02%, zinc up 1.96% and a 1.76% increase in silver in 2012.
Author: Dorothy Kosich
Posted: Friday , 08 Feb 2013
RENO (MINEWEB) -
Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines said 2012 gold production was down nearly 3% last year, as molybdenum production dropped 12.18% and tungsten output plunged 33.14%, compared to 2011.
Cumulative copper production for Peru for last year was 1,298,564 metric tons, up 5.12%. However, December 2012 copper production was 120,498 metric tons, down 1.84% over the same period of 2011.
Total 2012 lead production was 248,659 metric tons, up 8.02% from 230,199 metric tons. In December 2012, lead output was 21,002 metric tons, up 0.41% from 20,916 metric tons during the same period of 2011.
The Ministry’s Mining Department also reported total 2012 zinc production of 1,280975 metric tons, up 1.96% over the previous year of 1,256,383 metric tons. In December 2012 zinc production was 105,192 metric tons, up 2.85% from 102,272 metric tons in December 2011.
Silver production in the past year was 3,479,058 kilograms ( 111,854,313 troy ounces), an 1.76% increase over the prior year’s total of 3,418,862 kilograms 109.918,967 ozs.). For December 2012, Peru reported a total silver output of 305,443 kilograms (9,820,220 ozs), up 1.74% from 300,224 kilograms (9,652,425 ozs) in December 2011.
2012 Peruvian gold production was 161,325,989 grams (5,186,751 troy ounces), down 2.92% from 2011’s gold production of 166,186,717 grams (5,343,027 ozs). For December 2012, Peru reported production of 12,838,960 grams (412,782 ozs), down 9.15% from December 2011’s 14,131,485 grams (454,337 ozs).
Cumulative 2012 moly production was 16,790 metric tons, down 12.28% compared to 2011’s 19,141 metric tons. In December 2012 Peru reported 1,470 metric tons, down 21.01% from December 2011’s 1,861 metric tons.
Last year’s annual production of tungsten was 365 metric tons, down 33.14% over the previous year of 546 metric tons. In December 2012, Peru’s tungsten production plunged 80.77% from 26 metric tons in December 2011 to 5 metric tons.
Peru’s iron ore production for 2012 was down 4.66% from 7,010,938 long tons in 2011 to 6,684,539 long tons. In December 2012, Peru reported 634,343 long tons, down 13.92% from 736,944 long tons during the same period of 2011.