The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada’s North
North of 60 Mining News – October 25, 2024
Teck’s Red Dog Mine in Northwest Alaska is a globally significant source of zinc, a metal critical to the U.S.
The Delong Mountain Transportation System Port loads Red Dog zinc and lead concentrates onto ships during the ice-free months in NW Alaska.
Teck Resources Ltd. July 23 reported that its Red Dog mine produced 427,200 metric tons (941.8 million pounds) of zinc over the first nine months of 2024, putting this high-grade operation in Northwest Alaska on pace to supply markets with around 569,300 metric tons (1.25 billion lb) of this critical metal this year.
During the third quarter, Red Dog produced 142,500 metric tons (314.2 million lb) of zinc, which is 14% higher than the 124,600 metric tons (274.7 million lb) produced during the same period last year. The Alaska operation also produced 29,500 metric tons (65 million lb) of lead during the quarter, which is 38% higher than the 21,400 metric tons (47.2 million lb) produced during the third quarter of 2023.
Teck attributes the increased zinc and lead production to higher mill throughput resulting from a focus on improving mill availability and minimizing unplanned maintenance. Lead production was boosted further by increased grades and enhanced recovery.
Based on global statistics reported in the U.S. Geological Survey’s annual Mineral Commodity Summaries, the 2024 production at Red Dog will account for nearly 5% of global supply.
The Delong Mountain Transportation System Port loads Red Dog zinc and lead concentrates onto ships during the ice-free months in NW Alaska.
The globally significant zinc supply from Red Dog, however, is only shipped out from July through October due to sea ice preventing ships from reaching the Northwest Alaska operation over the winter months.
This year, the Delong Mountain Transportation System Port built to support the mine began loading zinc and lead concentrates onto ships on July 12, and Teck anticipates that the last ships will leave port in early November.
“The shipping season has continued into the fourth quarter and tons shipped in the fourth quarter will be dependent on weather conditions,” the company said.
Over his more than 16 years of covering mining and mineral exploration, Shane has become renowned for his ability to report on the sector in a way that is technically sound enough to inform industry insiders while being easy to understand by a wider audience.
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