PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Diversified resources group Rio Tinto on Thursday reported record iron-ore and coking coal production for the third quarter.

The company boosted iron-ore output to 47,6-million tons of iron-ore in the quarter, which is a 9% increase on the second-quarter production.

Rio Tinto said that iron-ore production set a new quarterly record across its operations, with the Pilbara system operating in excess of its nameplate capacity, matching the record third-quarter 2009 output of 56,8-million tons.

“We have delivered consistently strong operating performances in 2010 and the third quarter is no exception,” CEO Tom Albanese said in a statement.

“We continue to run our operations at close to or above capacity rates, taking advantage of strong prices for our products.”

Rio Tinto’s global iron-ore operations were expected to remain producing at close to nameplate capacity for the remainder of the year. In 2010, attributable production is expected to be 179-million tons.

During the third quarter, Rio Tinto announced investments totalling $4-billion, which included investment for the expansion of its Pilbara operations to 330-million tons a year of iron-ore.

“This takes our total approvals this year to $5,5-billion and is consistent with our capex guidance of $13-billion over the 18 months to December 2011,” said Albanese.

The Pilbara expansion centres on increasing capacity at Rio Tinto's port at Cape Lambert from 80-million tons a year to 180-million tons a year by 2015.

Albanese added that during the quarter under review, Rio Tinto also achieved record production for coal and alumina products.

Australian hard coking coal production was a record 2,4-million tons, which is an 17% increase on the third quarter of 2009, reflecting increased investment at the Queensland operations. However, Australian thermal coal production fell 14% on the same period, mainly owing to wet weather in Australia’s Hunter Valley.

In 2010, Rio Tinto’s share of Australian hard coking, semi-soft coking coal and thermal coal production is expected to be 9,5-million tons, 3,3-million tons and 19,1-million tons respectively.

Rio Tinto said that mined copper production fell by 19% in the third quarter to 197,2-million tons, while gold output dropped 33% to 278 000 oz, primarily owing to lower grades at Grasberg.

However, refined copper output climbed 6% to 100,6-million tons and refined gold production by 46% to 112 000 oz on that produced the third quarter of 2009, reflecting greater efficiencies at the Kennecott Utah copper smelter, in the US.

This increase was on the back of efficiencies achieved following the smelter shutdown.

For 2010, Rio’s share of mined and refined copper production is expected to be 660 000 t and 380 000 t, respectively.

Meanwhile, bauxite production increased 17% to 8,7-million tons on the third quarter of 2009, in line with higher demand. Alumina production at 2,3-million tons was a quarterly record, up 6% on the third quarter of 2009.

Aluminium production fell by 2% to 939 000 t, driven by lower production at Laterrière following a power outage in July, which forced the temporary closure of one of the plant’s two pot lines. The process of gradually restarting the 216 pots on the suspended production line began in early August, and the smelter returned to full production at the end of September.

The loss of metal production during the partial shutdown is estimated to be around 25 000 t.

Looking ahead, Rio expected its share of alumina and aluminium production to be 9,4-million tons and 3,8-million tons, respectively.

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