Capstone Copper (TSX:CS) has delayed the full restart of its Pinto Valley operation in Arizona, US, due to additional maintenance work required on its primary crusher.
The Canadian copper miner temporarily halted Pinto Valley in September for planned maintenance and primary crusher repairs. Operations were initially slated to resume in early November.
However, Capstone says it has since identified further maintenance requirements involving several major mechanical components.
The company now expects the primary crusher to be recommissioned in mid-December 2026.
In the meantime, it is redeploying temporary mobile crushing equipment to allow a partial restart of the concentrator in mid-November.
During this period, Capstone expects the operation to achieve throughput of up to 40,000 tonnes per day.
Operating since 1972
Pinto Valley is an open-pit copper mine located in the historic Globe-Miami mining district of central Arizona.
The operation is supported by a 60,000-tonnes-per-day concentrator, which Capstone says is the only operating mill in the region.
Pinto Valley has been operating since 1972 and has produced more than 4 billion pounds of copper, according to company estimates.
Production guidance lowered
Capstone says the additional downtime at Pinto Valley is expected to reduce its 2026 copper production by approximately 5,000 tonnes.
As a result, the company has lowered the bottom end of its consolidated copper production guidance for 2026 to 195,000 tonnes, down from 200,000 tonnes.
The high end of its 2026 guidance is 230,000 tonnes.
Chile strike poses further risks
Elsewhere, Capstone is also monitoring the potential impact of a national strike in Chile on its copper operations in the country.
According to the company, the strike could disrupt shipments of copper concentrate and cathodes, as well as deliveries of critical operating supplies, including fuel and sulphuric acid.
However, Capstone says production at its Mantoverde and Mantos Blancos operations remains unaffected for now
Capstone Copper is a copper-mining company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with assets in the US, Mexico, and Chile.
Write to Jackson Chen at Mining.com.au
Image: Capstone Copper
