PERTH (miningweekly.com) - Swiss-listed diversified miner Xstrata on Tuesday reported record yearly thermal coal and refined nickel volumes for the year ended December, as well as the second consecutive quarter of record Australian zinc production.

Total consolidated coal production reached 90.4-million tons during the year, a 7% increase on the previous 12 months.

Thermal coal production reached 53.2-million tons during the year under review as Xstrata commissioned the Ravensworth North, Ulan West and Ulan opencut projects in Australia, and improved production at its Cerrejon operation in Colombia, while continuing the transition of its South African coal operations into large-scale, low-cost operations.

Australia coking coal production reached 6.9-million tons, which was 9% lower than the previous year. Xstrata reported that increased production at the Okay Creek North project was offset by engineering challenges with the new thin seam longwall at Oaky Creek No 1 mine.

Total nickel production was a record 106 873 t during the full year, a further increase on the record volumes achieved in 2011. Xstrata said the increase was supported by a full year’s production of 15 186 t of nickel in ferronickel from the Falcondo operation, in the Dominican Republic, which operated 7% above the current nameplate capacity.

Meanwhile, copper production was 16% lower during the full year, at 747 000 t, as Xstrata’s copper division transitioned from older, end-of-life mines and expansions and addressed production challenges at the Collahausi joint venture.

Xstrata noted that copper production steadily increased during 2012 as the company commissioned and ramped-up five of its organic growth projects, reaching an annualised production rate of around 900 000 t in December, compared with 700 000 t in January last year.

At the Antemina mine, in Peru, production rose by 34%, increasing attributable volumes to 150 800 t, owing to increased mill throughput, following the successful completion of a major capital investment in March to expand the processing capacity to 130 000 t/d, along with improved grades and recoveries.

Xstrata also reported that total zinc in concentrate production was higher in 2012 as the Australian operations achieved record volumes in 2012, with an 8% increase in zinc in concentrate production compared with the record volumes reached in 2011.

The higher Australian volumes offset lower production at the Brunswick and Perseverance mines in Canada, which was mainly owing to lower grades as ore reserves approached the end of their lives, and lower zinc production at Antamina, where the mine plan continued to operate in a predominantly copper ore zone.

Total lead in concentrate production increased by 9% as a result of record volumes of lead in concentrate production at the Mount Isa mines. Xstrata said that improved lead ore grades at the Australian operation more than offset the lower head grades at the Canadian operations.