Rio Tinto 3 mths to Dec output mixed, iron ore lower vs Q3 - UPDATE |
|
|
|
Published
:
Wed, 17 Jan 2007 06:38
|
SYDNEY (XFN-ASIA) - Rio Tinto's output across commodities was mixed in the three months to December with iron ore production down two pct from the September quarter due to the impact of maintenance activities.Iron ore output fell to 35.06 mln metric tons from the previous quarter's 35.74 mln but annual production rose seven pct to a record 132.78 mln tons from 124.49 mln in 2005.Rio Tinto said mined copper production increased 15 pct in the final quarter to 209,800 tons from the third quarter while mined copper output for the year rose two pct to 803,500 tons.In the previous quarter output was affected by industrial action at the partly owned Escondida mine in northern Chile.December quarter refined copper production fell 29 pct to 54,000 tons from the third quartermainly due to the effects of an extended, scheduled maintenance shutdown at the Kennecott Utah copper smelter in the US.Annual refined copper output was down five pct from a year earlier at 299,200 tons.December quarter hard coking coal output at 1.52 mln tons fell 12 pct from the third quarter while output for the December year was down 18 pct at 5.91 mln tons.Rio Tinto said short term weakness in the coking coal market, with China using more intermediate quality domestic coals, led to the fall in annual production.Other coal output at the group's Australia mines rose two pct from the September quarter to 7.78 mln tons while annual output rose one pct to 31.16 mln tons.Rio Tinto said the marginal rise in Australian thermal and other coal output was, in partdue to higher output from Mount Thorley/Warkworth and Tarong mines.It said this helped to compensate for lower production at the Hunter Valley operations and Bengalla which were affected by significant congestion at Port of Newcastle, causing delayed shipments and impacts throughout the production process.US coal output rose five pct in the December quarter from the third quarter to 32.80 mln tons while annual output was up eight pct from a year earlier at 125.26 mln tons and making an annual record.Alumina output for the December quarter fell three pct to 795,000 tons while annual output was up 10 pct on the previous year at 3.25 mln tons.Rio Tinto said the lower alumina output reflected the sales of the sale of its 56.2 pct interest in Eurallumina refinery in Italy effective at the end of October, to Russia's Rusal.It said production at Yarwun refinery in Australia - formerly known as Comalco Alumina Refinery - hit record levels in the fourth quarter on increased plant stability and process improvements.December quarter aluminum output was unchanged from the September quarter at 215.8 mln tons while year-on-year output fell one pct to 844,700 tons.Bauxite output rose 10 pct from the September quarter to 4.44 mln tons while annual output rose four pct from a year earlier to 16.14 mln tons.Rio Tinto said the rise in December quarter bauxite output was due to high level of equipment availability and minimal plant downtime.Titanium dioxide feedstock output for the final quarter rose 12 pct to 380,000 tons and was up eight pct year-on-year at 1.41 mln tons.December quarter uranium output rose 38 pct to 1,848 tons from the previous quarter and was down 13 pct at 5,698 tons year one year.Diamond output for the December quarter fell five pct from the September quarter to 9.56 mln carats while annual output was down one pct year-on-year at 35.16 mln tons.Borates output in the final quarter was unchanged from the third quarter at 146,000 tons while annual output was down one pct from a year earlier at 844,700 tons.bruce.hextall@xfn.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
Print this Story
Rio Tinto 3 mths to Dec output mixed, iron ore lower vs Q3 