Less silver on lower grades at Greens Creek

Hecla Mining Company Oct. 23 reported that its Greens Creek Mine in Southeast Alaska produced 1.88 million ounces of silver during the third quarter of 2018, down 20 percent from the 2.34 million oz produced during the same period last year. The Juneau area mine also produced 11,559 oz of gold during the quarter ending Sept. 30, down 7 percent from Q3 2017.

The Idaho-based mining company attributes the slight drop in precious metals production at Greens Creek to lower ore grades and milled tonnage as a result of mine sequencing. The mill operated at an average of 2,316 tons per day during the quarter.

Through the first nine months of 2018, Greens Creek produced 5.79 million oz silver and 38,396 oz gold, down 7 percent and 2 percent, respectively.

Greens Creek also produces appreciable amounts of zinc and lead. The exact amounts of these base metals produced at the Southeast Alaska mine will be published in Hecla's third quarter financial report, expected next month.

Overall, Hecla's five operating mines – Greens Creek, Lucky Friday (Idaho), Casa Berardi (Quebec), San Sebastian (Mexico) and newly acquired Nevada Operations – produced 2.52 million oz of silver, 72,995 oz gold, 25.59 million pounds of zinc and 8.48 million lb of lead.

"Our gold and silver production met our expectations, with gold production increasing due to the addition of two months of production from the Nevada operations and silver production declining due to lower expected grades at Greens Creek," said Hecla Mining President and CEO Phillips S. Baker, Jr. "We are on track to meet annual production estimates at all operations."

–SHANE LASLEY