15.01.2018
2017 Operations Update
Central Asia Metals plc (AIM: CAML) today provides a Q4 and full year 2017 operations update for the Kounrad dump leach, solvent extraction and electro-winning ("SX-EW") copper recovery plant in Kazakhstan ("Kounrad") and the Sasa zinc-lead mine in Macedonia ("Sasa").

Highlights
- Completion of $402.5 million Lynx Resources acquisition, 6 November 2017

- 2017 Kounrad

o Copper production, 14,103 tonnes

- 2017 Sasa

o Zinc production, 21,585 tonnes

o Lead production, 29,881 tonnes

o CAML attributable zinc and lead metal production from 1 November to 31 December, 3,625 tonnes and 4,951 tonnes respectively

- 2017 Shuak

o Initial exploration programme completed with encouraging results

- 2018 production guidance

o Kounrad

§ Copper, 13,000 to 14,000 tonnes

o Sasa

§ Underground ore production, 780,000 to 800,000 tonnes

§ Zinc, 21,000 to 23,000 tonnes

§ Lead, 28,000 to 30,000 tonnes

- Cash in the bank on 31 December 2017, $46 million

StockMarketWire.com
Central Asia Metals said its copper production in the first half slipped 4% owing to cold weather in Kazakhstan.

Production in the second quarter picked up, to 3,677 compared to 3,070 in the first quarter, as the weather improved.

'After a particularly cold winter in Kazakhstan during the first quarter, we had a solid second quarter and were pleased with our overall first half Kounrad copper production,' chief executive Nigel Robinson said.

At the Sasa mine in Macedonia, which the company had now owned and operated for eight months, zinc output improved but lead about fell slightly.

'We are firmly on track to meet annual guidance for the three metals,' Robinson said.