Tin production at Bolivia’s largest mine declined to 502 tonnes of tin-in-concentrate in December, well down on the record level of 823 tonnes achieved in November. The dip was due to a strike and other problems and is expected to be reversed this month.
Average monthly production in 2007 has been close to 700 tpm, roughly double the level that was typical before the integration of a large number of co-operative workers on to the payroll of the mine in November 2006. Empresa Minera Huanuni is a subsidiary of state mining company Comibol and now has 4,600 employees. Planned investments of some US$75 million over the next two years should boost production to 1,000 tpm from 2009.
