Garfield County News | 1955-02-24 | Page 42 | Russia Claims Copper Mines Mechanized

Russia Claims Copper" Mines Mechanized Russia claims to have mechanized completely all operations at the huge Kounrad copper mine and the nearby Balkhash copper smelter. As a result, the Soviet press asserts, the Balkhash plant has Increased copper output over 30 per ceut during the past two years and purity of copper shipped has been improved substantially. The mine, near the north shore of Lake Balkhash, works porphy-ritic deposits running about 1.1 per cent Cu. Mechanization has made it possible to exploit the low-grade deposit. Ore from the open pit mine is loaded into 10O-ton gondola cars, pulled by electric engines. At the mill, the cars are dumped and the ore transported by belts to crushers, where it is reduced to a 20-23 mm. product The ore then moves to grinding and flotation sections.