Lumwana Mining Company Limited (LMC) was Barrick Gold Corporation’s best-performing asset by copper production during the first quarter of this year, producing around 27,895 tonnes, outperforming its two other mines.

Announcing its 2019 first quarter results for the period ending March 31, Barrick Gold stated that copper production at Lumwana peaked at 61.5 million pounds, or equivalent to around 27,895 tonnes during the first quarter of this year, beating Zaldívar Copper Mine in Chile and Jabal Sayid in Saudi Arabia, Barrick’s two other copper assets.

Barrick’s jointly-owned Zaldívar Copper Mine in Chile and Jabal Sayid in Saudi Arabia are two other major sources of copper for the Canadian mining giant.

According to the preliminary first quarter results released, Thursday, Zaldívar produced 28 million pounds, while Jabal Sayid’s output was 17 million pounds, translating to around 12,700 metric tonnes and 7,711 tonnes, respectively.

Last Tuesday, LMC process manager Robert Kanyika told journalists that the mining giant had ramped up production this year to ensure it stayed on course to hit its output target around 107,000 tonnes.

He explained that the company had equally put in place measures to boost its copper production.

“As the process plant as Lumwana, for 2019, we have focused on pushing the highest tonnage that has never been pushed in this mine. To do that, we have put up a strategy in the mining site where we have procured bigger machines – the PC8,000, that’s a very big shovel, and we have also procured five dump trucks and also embarked on upgrading the existing trucks that are 230 tonnes to 290,” said Kanyika during the company’s maiden quarterly press briefing.

LMC general manager David Baumgartel noted that the first quarter production results had exceeded expectations.