Magnesitas Navarras SA is to open two new magnesite mines in the north-east of Spain in a bid to extend its reserves by 30 years.
The Zilbeti and Borobia mines are set to open in Q1 2011 and will have a combined output of 360,000 tpa (180,000 tpa each), revealed company’s director general Nicolas Gangutia at IM’s MagMin 2010 in Istanbul.
The growth the company has experienced in recent years has resulted in the reserves at its Azkarate mine complex at Zubiri near Pamplona dwindling where it has 6-7 years of magnesite remaining at a rate of 440,000 tpa.
Sales of its refractory coating products to the steel industry, which sells under the brand name Magna, have seen significant growth over the last five years despite the economic downturn. The company is expecting...