A small mine continues to reach big milestones.
Development at Reed mine is advancing an average of 9.5 metres a day and remains on track to meet production targets, according to VMS Ventures.
VMS, which owns Reed along with operator Hudbay, released highlights from the mine for the month of May, including:
• Number of days with no lost-time accidents increased to 809.
• Development advanced 233 metres during the month and 1,432 metres for the year to date.
• Production of 40,621 tonnes for the month and a total of 147,864 tonnes for the year to date.
VMS said the focus for June remained on safety and continued ramp development, as well as ore production from stopes in the area known as Zone 30.
Situated about 50 kilometres west of Snow Lake, Reed launched commercial production on March 31 after months in the pre-production phase.
That was up to three months earlier than expected. And in an era of wild cost overruns in the resource sector, Reed came in about $6 million under budget with a total price tag of roughly $66 million.
With a peak workforce of nearly 80 people and a projected lifespan of five years, Reed is nowhere near the size of northern Manitoba’s more recognizable mines.
But it does promise a steady stream of copper, along with smaller amounts of zinc, gold and silver, for Hudbay’s Flin Flon concentrator.
VMS owns 30 per cent of the mine, with Hudbay owning the remaining 70 per cent.
