PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The demerger of the Sierra Rutile and constraints in the Chinese ceramics market have seen mineral sands miner Iluka Resources report a decline in both production and sales for the third quarter ended September.
Iluka on Friday reported that zircon, rutile and synthetic rutile production for the third quarter reached 153 800 t, down from the 188 800 t in the second quarter, with rutile production down from 48 300 t to 24 900 t with the spin-out of the Sierra Leone assets into the separately listed Sierra Rutile.
Zircon production decreased from 80 400 t to 69 700 t in the same period owing to lower zircon-in-concentrate sales.
Meanwhile, sale volumes for zircon, rutile and synthetic rutile were down from 232 600 t in the June quarter to 144 000 t, Iluka reported, with sales constrained by production and logistics, despite softness in the Chinese ceramics market and high energy costs impacting tile production in Europe.
The company also noted that synthetic rutile sales volumes were impacted by the timing of shipments and Australian port congestion, reducing sales in the quarter by 15 000 t.
Revenue for the quarter under review reached A$357.3-million, down from the A$540.9-million achieved in the June quarter.
Meanwhile, Iluka told shareholders that work on the Eneabba refinery continued during the quarter, following an investment decision in April.
At a cost of between A$1-billion and A$1.2-billion, the refinery will have a 17 500 t/y total rare earth oxide capacity, and will employ 300 people during construction and around 270 during its operations.
All primary environmental approvals have now been received, allowing for construction to start, and first production is expected in 2025.