Mount Isa Mines Copper Smelter rebrick completed
Media release
Mount Isa Mines has successfully completed a 38-day, $30 million Copper Smelter rebrick on time and on budget, enabling the extension of smelting operations and reinforcing our commitment to minerals processing operations in Mount Isa.
Approximately 700 people were engaged on the shutdown, including 230 Glencore employees and nearly 500 contractors from local and regional companies.
The shutdown included a number of major maintenance projects including laying 2,500 tonnes of refractory bricks in the ISASMELT furnace, an anode furnace, and two rotary holding furnaces. The refractory bricks form part of our furnaces which operate at 1,300 degrees Celsius, and over time at that heat the bricks erode, needing to be replaced.
Richard Harvey, Chief Processing Officer for North Queensland Copper Operations said the shutdown’s success was testament to the dedicated team who had been planning for the project for months.
“With a large scale project like this, planning is critical to ensure the safety of our people and the successful completion of the multi-million dollar project,” Mr Harvey said.
“Our rebrick has been completed safely, on budget and on schedule and will enable our smelting operations in Mount Isa to continue,” he said.
“Our investment in this rebrick is a positive demonstration of our confidence in advanced metals processing in Mount Isa,” Mr Harvey said.
“While we can’t predict future market conditions, we will maintain our metallurgical assets as long as they remain economically viable”.
For further information, please contact:
Richard Norris
t: +61 7 4744 3146
m: +61 431 981 499
e: Richard Norris
Jemma Schweikert
t: +61 7 4744 3140
m: +61 412 126 510
e: Jemma Schweikert
Re-bricking underway in the anode furnace during the $30 million Copper Smelter shutdown in March and April.
Furnaces re-bricked during the shutdown are lined with multiple layers of custom produced bricks to withstand the temperatures, up to 1200 degrees Celsius, generated during the smelting process.
Notes for editors
About Glencore
Glencore is one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies and a major producer and marketer of more than 90 commodities. The Group's operations comprise over 150 mining and metallurgical sites, oil production assets and agricultural facilities.
With a strong footprint in both established and emerging regions for natural resources, Glencore's industrial and marketing activities are supported by a global network of more than 90 offices located in over 50 countries.
Glencore's customers are industrial consumers, such as those in the automotive, steel, power generation, oil and food processing industries. We also provide financing, logistics and other services to producers and consumers of commodities. Glencore employs around 160,000 people, including contractors.
About Mount Isa Mines
Mount Isa Mines operates two separate mining and processing streams, copper and zinc-lead-silver, to deliver natural resources that have enduring roles in our society. The site hosts the world’s largest zinc resource base, as well as the biggest network of underground mine development in the world.
The site includes two copper underground mines, one zinc underground mine and one zinc open cut mine; the copper concentrator and smelter, as well as the zinc-lead concentrator, lead smelter and zinc filter plant. Together, these represent one of Australia’s largest industrial complexes.
As well as the Australian market, our products are exported to countries throughout Asia, Europe and the UK, contributing billions of dollars to the Australian economy every year. We provide work for close to 4,000 employees and contractors and are dedicated to supporting local people, local businesses, and creating strong links between our operations and the city of Mount Isa.