The company operating the Highland Valley Copper Mine near Logan Lake saw a more-than-40-per-cent drop in profits from copper to start 2019.

In the first three months of the year, Teck Resources had a gross profit of $170 million in copper compared to $293 million in the same months of 2018.

Teck spokesman Peter Martell says a $73-million-dollar piece of equipment that will increase production is coming online this spring.

“It’s called a D3 grinding mill and it increases the recovery on one of our process lines. It’s going to increase grinding circuit capacity and improve recovery. And it’s also ahead of schedule and on budget, so we’re feeling good about that.”

Martell says long-term Teck is very positive for the outlook for copper and not overly concerned with the drop in the first quarter.

“There’s been a little bit lower copper production in Q1 than there was a year ago. However, we expect that the copper grades and recoveries are going to gradually improve for the rest of 2019, as we are progressing deeper in both the Lornex and Valley pits.”