Minera Panama accumulates tons of copper concentrate

From the end of November 2023. Minera Panamá, SA, maintains stocks of 132 thousand tons copper concentrate in their warehouses, under immediate environmental risk, warn experts from the company holding the project Panamanian copper.

This is an accumulation of approximately two months that could not be performed after the failure Supreme Court of Justice which declared the contract between the company and the Panamanian state unconstitutional, as well as its imminent termination, explained Onsite copper concentrate supervisor port Panama Copper Project.

The expert explained that the filter plant is the last link in the copper concentrate production chain.

At this point, the material passes through a filtering process from a liquid state with a moisture content of 35% to a solid state, almost a powder, with a moisture content of about 8% to 10%, and is stored in a warehouse. for a short time to then be exported through Punta Rincon.

However, over time, that 8 to 10 percent moisture tends to decrease, increasing the risk of environmental pollution, due to the fineness and micron size of the material, which makes it easier for it to be dispersed by wind or during transport, he noted. expert.

In addition, this condition also causes operational problems as it dries out and compacts, generating heat inside the batteries and creating difficulties in subsequent processes, he added.

He port copper concentrate supervisor of the Cobra Panama project he warned that an increase in heat due to an exothermic reaction was also recorded inside the pile, which represents a risk both for the property of the mineral and for people and objects.

The 70 degrees it reached started with the ambient temperature and they don’t know what temperature is deeper inside the battery.

Currently, Minera Panama SA maintains monitoring of humidity, temperature and gases that can accumulate inside the warehouse to know the behavior of the pile that is full of accumulated material.

So far, they have detected hydrogen sulfide and carbon sulfide, which is why they maintain gallium ventilation to prevent their accumulation.

Minera Panama SA warns that the most effective way to minimize the risks of accumulation of copper concentrate in the warehouse is to get rid of this material as soon as possible.

With this in mind, the company has called on the Panamanian authorities to make a decision that will allow them to remove the material they have in storage.

In this connection, Minister of Trade and Industry (MICI), staff of Jorge Rivera he made it clear that determining how to withdraw or manage these resources would depend on the legal, financial and operational definitions made by the national government.

“Without a doubt, it is a priority for both the company and the national government to be able to determine the use of this material,” said Rivero Staff.

The head of trade and industry recognized the risks of material degradation and assured that it was the ‘first priority’ in the process they are carrying out in relation to the mine closure plan.

He indicated that the next steps are clear in the roadmap and pointed out that January 16 is the deadline by which the company should present a plan for the care, maintenance and preservation of the physical and chemical stability of the project.

This week, Panama is also waiting for the formation of a working team United Nations, World Bank, ECLAC, Inter-American Development Bank and ILO determine directions of action in cooperation with multinational entities.

Statements of River staff They happened last Thursday during a review of the Cobre Panamá project by the Panamanian authorities.

Extraction and commercial operations Minera Panama SA They were detained, he repeated Staff of Jorge Rivera.

When asked about mine closure costs for Panama, the official indicated there are projections of about $800 million in a process that will take more than 7 years, although that will depend on appropriate audits.

With information from Víctor Arosemen.

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