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The Coeur mine produced from 1969-1998. The total production was 39 million ounces of silver and 33 million pounds of copper from 2.4 million tons of ore. Average ore grades were 16.6 ounces per ton silver and 0.72% copper.
The company decided in 2007 to reactivate the Coeur mill to process lead-silver ore produced at the Galena mine. To achieve this, the company reconditioned the 3400 level haulage way connecting the Galena mine to the Coeur shaft, a distance of about 1.5 miles. The reconditioning involved laying new heavier gauge track as well as installing an improved ventilation system. The shaft and mill were also reconditioned with the mill being commissioned in early September, 2007, at a start-up rate of 200 Tons/day. The mill is expected to achieve a rate of about 400 tons per day later in 2008. The silver-lead concentrates from this mill are being shipped to TeckCominco's Trail smelter in southern British Columbia. Total metal production from the Coeur mill in 2008 is budgeted at over 10 million lbs of lead and 500,000 oz of silver.
The company is also examining the possibility of reactivating the Coeur mine to access some of the mineralized zones that were left when the mine was shut down in 1998. This silver-copper ore would be milled at the Galena mill along with the other silver-copper ores produced at the Galena mine. The evaluation of the Coeur mine will continue for the next several months.
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