The safe and dedicated work of repair teams is being credited with a return to production at the Copper Cliff Smelter this week following an incident in which an extension of the Fluid Bed Drier stack at the complex fell to the ground earlier this month. The single furnace was back on-line and in production on May 16.
This work was completed several days ahead of schedule.
While the exact cause of the stack extension failure is still under investigation, the restart of smelting activities allows the company to continue with plans to increase feed from the mines as it moves towards resuming full production.
Elsewhere, mill recoveries are improving and are showing excellent product quality. In the mines, the first ore production is now coming out of Creighton Deep with ongoing significant contributions from Coleman and Stobie Mines.
All efforts are being completed with the same excellent safety performance that has been demonstrated since the restart of production in the second half of 2009.
Court update: Contempt of court allegations
On Monday, May 17 Vale Inco was in Superior Court in Sudbury with the USW and six employees – all of whom were cited with contempt of court following the illegal blockades at Coleman Mine and Clarabelle Mill that began on May 4. The purpose of the hearing was to ask the courts to find all in contempt of the injunction in effect that prohibits blockades at our plants.
After one day of arguments, the hearing was adjourned until Friday May 21. At that time it is expected there will be further procedural matters which will lead to future court dates.