Pan American Silver Corp. said it plans to restart operations at its La Colorada silver mine in Zacatecas, Mexico, on October 16. The company temporarily suspended all operating activities at the silver mine due to security concerns following a robbery at the operation. In the early hours of October 5, 2023, the operation experienced an armed robbery of two trailers containing concentrate. The company said no one was injured in connection with the incident.
In response to the current security situation in the area and Pan American’s priority to protect the safety and security of its personnel, the company said in a press release that it decided to temporarily suspend operations, project work and exploration at La Colorada. The mine site was secure, and Pan American had activated care and maintenance activities while it worked with state and federal authorities regarding the incident.
Pan American thanked the Zacatecas state government and federal authorities in Mexico for its rapid response and efforts of the to improve security in the vicinity of the La Colorada mine and to provide an environment that allows for mine operations to resume. The Mexican authorities have taken steps to facilitate the safe transit to and from the mine site for all the employees, contractors and people from the nearby communities.
La Colorada is Pan American’s largest silver mine. It produced 6.9 million oz in 2022. The company does not expect the temporary suspension to have a material impact to its annual consolidated production.
