Silver Production Increases Due To Full Production At Lucky Friday
COEUR D'ALENE, ID - Phillip S. Baker, Jr., President and CEO of Hecla Mining Company, said, With steady growth in silver production at the Lucky Friday Mine and solid operating performance from our Greens Creek Mine, we achieved our second highest quarterly silver production since 2016. This strong performance combined with steady prices delivered an increase of approximately $41 million in cash, the fifth consecutive quarter of increasing cash reserves and one of the highest increases in Hecla’s history. With the Company’s U.S. vaccination rate higher than the U.S. average including Greens Creek at a nearly 90% vaccination rate, and Casa Berardi vaccinations increasing, we expect to build on these results.”
At the Greens Creek Mine, 2.6 million ounces of silver and 12,859 ounces of gold were produced. The decrease in silver production compared to the second quarter of 2020 was due to lower grades resulting from mine sequencing. The mill operated at an average of 2,362 tons per day (tpd).
Casa Berardi Mine reported that 31,332 ounces of gold were produced. The increase in gold ounces compared to the second quarter of 2020 was due to higher mill throughput, partially offset by lower grades. The mill operated at an average of 4,117 tpd.
The Lucky Friday Mine produced 913,294 ounces of silver in the quarter, an increase of 95% compared to the second quarter of 2020 due to the return to full production in the fourth quarter of 2020. The mill operated at an average of 906 tpd.
At the Nevada operations, 14,947 ounces of gold and 45,125 ounces of silver were produced from processing previously stockpiled ore, including oxide material processed at the Midas mill and a bulk sample of refractory material processed at a third-party facility. With the completion of processing the oxide material, the Fire Creek Mine and Midas mill were placed on care and maintenance during the quarter. In the second half of 2021, approximately 10,000 tons of refractory material is expected to be processed as a test at a third-party autoclave facility. Development for the Hatter Graben deposit at Hollister and exploration at Midas are ongoing.