The shutdown is a preventative measure as Copper Mountain assesses the extent of the attack on its systems at the mine and its corporate offices in Vancouver.

The company’s Asia-Pacific exploration team is searching for deposits along a vast mineral belt that stretches from Pakistan to Papua New Guinea.

Spikes in covid-19 cases and the Lunar New Year holiday are expected to dampen metals demand in China.

The miner added it has seen no material impact on production.

The Port Pirie smelter was shut in October for work to reduce emissions and improve operational performance.

Panamanian officials and the operator of a giant copper mine are back at the negotiating table after a hiatus of more than a week.

The company did not specify the copper volumes that could be affected.