The pinhead blogger Coach quoted said the following:
And if you do a quick calculation, you'll work out that ECU has run about 20,000 tonnes of mineral through its pilfered machine so far, which means that the 80,000MT of total oxide ore they had to start with is depleting rather rapidly. So waddadey gonna do when the oxide mineral runs out? Maybe they can try putting through some of that sulfide stuff to see if it works*.
The 80,000 metric tons the blogger states ECU has is not even close. According to the latest NI43-101 signed off by Micon, ECU has measured and indicated oxide ore of 1,075,000 tonnes and inferred oxide ore of 379,000 tonnes. The correct total amount is thus 1,454,000 tonnes. At 500 tonnes per day, that is enough ore to last for 8 years. I also believe the amount of oxide ore in the latest NI43-101 does not include the recently discovered Terneras East vein and its branches. The oxide ore though is really just a transition to the main event which is the sulphides. At latest count, ECU has MI&I sulpide ore in the amount of 29,015,000 tonnes which is enough for a 5,000 tpd mill to operate for 16 years. This is only the tip of the iceberg though since it does not include the potential ores which are 3 times the MI&I, and also does not include the recently discovered massive sulphides.
I also take issue with his comment that the mill is a "pilfered machine". Last I read, ECU paid $8,000,000 to Hecla for the mill and Hecla has no complaints.
