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Teck's Red Dog zinc mine still operating after quakes

by Reuters
Friday, 18 April 2014 21:54 GMT

(Recasts, adding details about mine status)

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, April 18 (Reuters) - Teck Resources said on Friday its Red Dog operation in Alaska, the world's largest zinc and lead mine, is operating as usual after two earthquakes struck a few miles from the site.

Two extremely shallow earthquakes, a magnitude 5.6 and a magnitude 5.3, struck just minutes apart on Friday afternoon just a few miles (km) southeast of the mine in remote northwest Alaska, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The USGS revised the strength of the quakes from initial estimates of 5.5 and 5.4.

"Mild tremors were felt at Red Dog operations. There were no safety concerns and the mine is currently operating as normal," a spokesman said in an email.

Red Dog, located just over 100 miles (160 km) above the Arctic Circle and employing 550 full-time staff, is expected to produce between 500,000 and 525,000 tonnes of zinc and 95,000-100,000 tonnes of lead in 2014, according to Teck's 2013 annual report. (Reporting by Sandra Maler in Washington DC and Josephine Mason in New York; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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