Anglo American CEO Mark Cutifani
Photo by: Creamer Media
Global diversified miner Anglo American reported a 6% year-on-year increase in total production on a copper equivalent basis for the second quarter.
Anglo CE Mark Cutifani remarked in a statement on Thursday that higher copper and metallurgical coal production reflected the company’s consistent focus on driving efficiency and productivity from its world-class asset base.
Copper production increased by 12% year-on-year to 158 000 t, despite a major planned maintenance programme at the Collahuasi mine, in Chile.
Metallurgical coal production increased by 33% to 5.3-million tonnes, which was driven by strong performance at Moranbah and Grosvenor, both in Australia.
Thermal coal export production decreased by 1% to 7.2-million tonnes owing to challenging geology.
Anglo has revised its yearly guidance for export thermal coal output downward to between 28-million and 30-million tonnes, compared with the previous guidance of 29-million to 31-million tonnes, as a result of dust-related stoppages at the Cerrejón mine, in Colombia, and challenging geology at sections of the South African operations.
Moreover, Anglo reported an 8% year-on-year increase in nickel production and a 5% year-on-year increase in manganese production.
Meanwhile, while iron-ore production at Anglo’s South African operations increased by 2% year-on-year.
Production at Minas-Rio, in Brazil, decreased to 100 000 t, compared with the 4.3-million tonnes produced in the second quarter of 2017, as a result of the operations having been suspended in March following two leaks in the iron-ore slurry pipeline.
Detailed pipeline inspection work at Minas-Rio is on track.
A 4 km section of the pipeline, where the leaks occurred, will be replaced as a precautionary measure and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter.