Mitsui Mining & Smelting to Shit to Bolivian Zinc Mine for the Smelting

Mitsui Mining & Smelting shifts the zinc ore source from Century Mine of Australia to San Cristobal mine of Bolivia, in which Sumitomo Corporation has interest, for the smelting at wholly owed subsidiary, Kamioka Mining & Smelting in Gifu. Mitsui Mining & Smelting shifts the source gradually from fiscal 2010 starting April 2010 when Century Mine will stop the operation by 2015.

Kamioka Mining & Smelting makes near 70,000 tonnes per year of electrolytic zinc. Seventy percent of the materials are from Century Mine while the firm uses some steel making dust as the material. The firm supplies the ore to Hikoshima semelter in Yamaguchi from the mines of Peru.

The Century Mine is located in Queensland, which is the second largest zinc mine in the world with annual 500,000 tones of production capacity. The mine produces 40,000 tonnes of lead. Mitsui Mining & Smelting started to purchase the ore from 2000. However, the mine stops the operation in 2015 and the firm shifts to another source.