Endeavour Silver (TSX: EDR) has cut processing capacity at its Guanaceví mine by nearly half after a mechanical issue forced the operation’s primary ball mill offline.
The mill was shut down on September 21. The company is now preparing to replace the mill head and trunnion, the hollow shaft on which the mill rotates, and says both components are already on site.
Endeavour expects repairs to take about three weeks and is working with third-party service providers to speed up the replacement.
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In the meantime, ore will be processed through the regrind circuit, which has been reconfigured to handle 600 tonnes per day. Normal throughput is roughly 1,100 tonnes per day, which puts the reduction at about 45%. Mining will continue without interruption, so ore will keep coming out of the ground while the plant processes a smaller share of it.
Figures were not provided for the potential impact to production.
Guanaceví is one of three operating mines in Endeavour’s portfolio, alongside Terronera in Mexico and Kolpa in Peru.
Endeavour Silver last traded at $14.21 on the TSX.
