Power failure stops Lihir production

PRODUCTION at Lihir gold mine has been interrupted after power disruptions.
Operator Newcrest Mining Ltd managing director and chief executive Ian Smith said in a brief statement that a high voltage switchgear failure in the power station  had interrupted production with the processing pant currently operating at a reduced capacity.
Smith said repair work in the powers station had commenced and a phased return to full capacity was planned over the next three weeks.
He said as a result, of this incident and minor production delays at other sites, full year gold production is expected to be around 2.7 million oz.
However, Smith said copper production and cost guides were unaffected.