COPPER: Imperial 2013 production, 2014 guidance

VANCOUVER – Imperial Metals produced 59.1 million lb of copper in 2013 and plans to boost its output to 65.0 million lb in 2014. It also produced 54,456 oz of gold and 243,013 oz of silver last year.

Last year's numbers include production from the Mount Polley and Huckleberry mines in British Columbia and the Sterling mine in Nevada. When the Red Chris copper-gold mine 80 km south of Dease Lake, BC, comes online by the end of the year, it will add 20 million lb of copper and 10,000 oz of gold to the totals each year going forward.

Output in 2013 (and 2014 guidance) for each of Imperial's three current mines are below:

• Mount Polley: 38.5 million lb (44.0 million lb) of copper, 45,823 oz (47,000 oz) of gold, and 123,999 oz (120,000 oz) of silver;
• Huckleberry: 41.2 million lb (21.0 million lb) of copper and 238,028 oz (100,000 oz) of silver; and
• Sterling: 7,431 oz (8,000 oz) of gold sold.

Details of the Red Chris development, with commissioning scheduled for June 2014, are posted at ImperialMetals.com.