Lafayette Mining reports commissioning of the Rapu Rapu base metals plant in the Philippines has progressed satisfactorily with routine production of on-specification copper and zinc concentrates and improved plant availability.

The company says it is encouraged by the increasingly reliable production of both concentrates as the process plant continues to demonstrate its ability to perform at above the nameplate 1 million tonnes/year capacity.

Lafayette has now stockpiled 1200 tonnes of marketable concentrates at the mine wharf and discussions are progressing with the project off-taker, LG International, on payment terms (including stockpile financing arrangements) and the finalization of shipping schedules moving forward.

The plant continues to operate under the authority of a Temporary Lifting Order (TLO), which has recently been extended as a consequence of certain force majeure events primarily associated with the impact of Typhoon Milenyo, which interrupted plant operations for a period.

Lafayette says the extension period of 30 days granted by the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB) should be more than adequate to allow the completion and final review of the independent reports required by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources under the terms of the original TLO.

These reports relate to the integrity of the environmental management systems on site - systems that successfully withstood the full impact of the typhoon, reinforcing its confidence in the ability of the mine to now meet "world's best practice in environmentally sustainable mining."

Lafayette is confident that the PAB will be able to assess and confirm compliance with all relevant conditions that would justify the issuance of a Permanent Lifting Order within the period of the extension.

Lafayette, through its subsidiary companies and Philippine partners, holds an interest in the Rapu-Rapu polymetallic project. Rapu Rapu Island is some 350 km south of Manila. The Rapu-Rapu mineral resource currently supports an eight year mine life capable of producing about 10,000 tonnes of copper in concentrates, 14,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrates, 50,000 ounces of gold and 600,000 ounces of silver annually. www.lafayettemining.com

News sourced from International Mining Project News - www.im-mining.com