Capstone advises of delay in Pinto Valley recommissioning, revises full-year guidance
Capstone Copper has advised of a delay in the planned restart of the Pinto Valley operation in Arizona owing to additional maintenance being required on a few of the major mechanical components of the primary crusher.
The company explains the Pinto Valley plant was expected to resume operations early in November, however, the company identified additional maintenance requirements during commissioning of the plant’s primary crusher, which extended the scope and duration of the planned maintenance – given that specific components need to be manufactured off-site by the original-equipment manufacturer.
Capstone expects the primary crusher to be recommissioned in mid-December.
In the meantime, the company is redeploying temporary mobile crushing equipment, which can enable a partial restart of the concentrator in mid-November, ahead of the primary crusher returning to service. During this interim period, Capstone estimates a throughput capacity of up to 40 000 t/d is possible.
The additional downtime at Pinto Valley will nonetheless impact the group’s copper production for the year by about 5 000 t.
Accordingly, Capstone has adjusted the bottom end of its 2026 consolidated copper production guidance to 195 000 t from 200 000 t originally.
Further, a national strike by a civic movement and independent trucking associations in Chile also presents a risk to Capstone’s 2026 production expectations. The company explains certain concentrate and cathode shipments have been suspended, as well as deliveries of key consumables such as fuel and sulphuric acid.
While the Mantoverde and Mantos Blancos operations remain unimpacted by the strike, Capstone will continue implementing mitigation measures where possible to avoid impacts to production associated with the national truckers’ strike.