News from the Government processing plant: On 23 June, 2013, Sr. Gregorio Carbajal, the operating contractor at the plant gave an interview to El Monitor de Parral in which he reported that "in two more weeks" the plant would be operating at 100%, as a third crushing mill (presently unused) would be brought on line after repairs to correct the effects of disuse had been completed. The plant, he said, had been operating at 66% of capacity with two mills running 24 hours/day, and processing about 6000 tons/month. He says it will be processing at least 10,000 tons/month after the third mill is brought on line. For information, assuming a five day work week and 500 tons per day (tpd) of capacity, the plant can theoretically process 10,000 tons/month. So this would indicate the plant is running 5 days/week, and is presently processing about 330 tpd. With the third mill operational, running three shifts and operating 7 days/week, the plant can theoretically process 15,000 tons/month. That is probably more than it will ever achieve in practice, since machinery has to be maintained, breaks and has to be repaired, etc, etc.
Sr. Carbajal did not address backlogged work, nor was he asked about it. He did go on to say the relationship with the small miners was good, that they had differences of opinion, but that everyone was working together for mutual benefit.
This is a slightly different story than the newspaper "El Sol de Parral" reported in mid-April. At that time, the paper reported the plant was processing about 300 tpd, operating three mills 24 hours/day and preparing to bring a fourth mill on line. The daily processed tonnage is consistent between the two stories, so plant output probably really is about 300 tpd.
None of this explains what happened to the "6000 tons awaiting processing at the Government's plant in Parral."
