Bunker Hill Ships First Concentrate to Trail Smelter and Announces Drawdown of Standby Facility
Bunker Hill shipped its first concentrate since reopening, while Teck draws funds from the facility for working capital.
Bunker Hill Mining Corp. has shipped its first lead and zinc concentrate to Teck Resources' Trail Smelter in British Columbia, marking the first revenue-generating shipment from the site since operations ceased over 45 years ago. The company’s newly constructed 1,800 tons per day (tpd) processing plant is currently in final commissioning phases, with full commercial production—defined as 90 days at greater than 65% throughput—targeted by the end of 2026.
Bunker Hill Mining Corp. (BNKR) has confirmed that its recent shipment validates the transition from construction to initial production, marking the successful completion of engineering and commissioning efforts undertaken over the past six years. Additionally, the company’s drawdown of the Teck standby facility is a standard working capital measure for pre-revenue mining projects, providing liquidity to cover operating expenses while the plant ramps to nameplate capacity rather than indicating financial distress.
Bunker Hill Mining Corp. is focused on restarting the historic Bunker Hill Mine in Idaho's Coeur d'Alene mining district. The mine closed in 1981 after producing over 165 million ounces of silver and 4.5 million tonnes of base metals. The flagship project features a newly built 1,800 tpd processing plant with differential flotation circuits designed to produce separate lead and zinc concentrates. The facility is designed for future expansion to approximately 2,500 tpd with modest incremental capital.