Climax is a mine site that is challenged in so many ways. It is the innovation and collaboration of such a great team that break down these challenges into a manageable roadmap of successful ideas to turn the challenges into realizable opportunities. The team here at Climax excel at this talent. This comes from every area… every job… every person.
There is no better time than now to be a part of Climax with the inherent growth potential and the viability of the mine for many years to come. We cannot control the price of molybdenum, diesel, energy, mill liners, or other inputs. We have the ability through the talents of Agile work methods, collaboration, trialing new ideas and constantly challenging the status quo to be the engineer of our outcome rather than the victim. Every person on this site can help Climax grow stronger and better in all areas.
This is a pivotal year for the Climax mine. The company is investing in, and we are advancing major projects that all add to the goal of becoming the lowest cost primary molybdenum producer in the market. An enabling environmental project begins this summer with early earthwork construction for a Moly Removal Water Treatment Plant which ties into the Property Discharge Water Treatment Plant. This is a monumental project that opens the flexibility of mining our full Climax resource in the most cost-effective manner while managing quality of water released from the site. The second major project is the potential acceleration of a Grade 1 molybdenum circuit at Climax; this creates a new product stream for the site and provides flexibility to the Climax Molybdenum Company to better serve our customers and further grow our market share. Another is the feasibility study of bringing on recovery of two by-product minerals, tungsten and tin. Also, the feasibility of the underground opportunity to add mineral resource into our mine plan which increases the mine life of Climax.
The challenges will continue, but there is ample reason to see that a bright future exists for Climax for many years to come. While my successor has not yet been named, Vanessa de Viterbo, Mine Manager, will become the interim General Manager and Tanner Thetford will become interim Mine Manager. Please give them your support and congratulations.
Saying good-bye is difficult when you care for and have connected so deeply to a place and its people. Such is my fate. Good-bye is just one moment in time with hope of seeing each other again. All the moments we have shared together through the good times and the bad are the ones that will stay with me. I am thankful and appreciative of the time I have shared with each of you.
With gratitude,
Vicki Seppala, Climax General Manager