[ferro-alloys.com]Freeport-McMoRan's Cerro Verde copper mine in Peru will continue limiting operations as Peru extends its national emergency lockdown to April 26 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but it has now suspended operations at its New Mexico Chino copper mine due to the spread of the virus among its workforce at the site, the company said Monday.

Cerro Verde's copper ore concentrator has been operating at approximately one-third of planned rates between April 1 and April 11, Freeport said in a statement.

Freeport said it is now completing actions to provide additional onsite facilities and enhanced health protocols to enable production to increase while maintaining compliance with the government order.

"Cerro Verde continues to review health guidelines with Peruvian government authorities to position Cerro Verde for a return to normal operations as soon as possible," Freeport said.

Freeport did not clarify how much it planned to potentially increase production at Cerro Verde during Peru's national emergency. A representative for Freeport could not be reached immediately for comment Monday.

Cerro Verde's concentrator processes ore from the site's open-pit copper mine at a reported capacity of 409,500 mt/day, according to Freeport's website. The company said Cerro Verde produced 1 billion lb of copper and 29 million lb of molybdenum in 2019.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix-based miner said it suspended operations at Chino on Sunday indefinitely after multiple employees at the mine tested positive for the coronavirus.

"We have asked that Chino mine employees not report to work until further notice after learning about additional employees testing positive for COVID-19," Freeport spokeswoman Linda Hayes said in a separate statement.

Three of the mine's employees tested positive for the virus earlier this month.

Chino produced 175 million lb of copper in 2019, according to Freeport's most recent earnings report.

(S&P Global Platts)

• [Editor:王可]