Production by Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining, which operates the Tshipi manganese mine in the Kalahari manganese field in South Africa's Northern Cape, decreased to 786 308 t in the quarter ended September 30, compared with the 921 488 t produced in the quarter ended June 30.
ASX-listed Jupiter Mines, which owns 49.9% of Tshipi é Ntle, reports that production at the mine was impacted on by unplanned downtime of the primary crusher system in July.
Production, however, improved in August, notwithstanding a planned ten-day shutdown of the processing plant.
"Record production was then achieved through the primary crusher in September," it adds.
Sales volumes, however, increased to 928 361 t, from 812 166 t in the June quarter.
South African road volumes were reduced during the quarter owing to market conditions, but rail volumes, and sales overall, increased owing to emerging miners not using their rail allocations, Jupiter points out.
Tshipi é Ntle also commenced mine gate sales of low-grade lump and fines in September.
Further, during July, Tshipi é Ntle started moving volumes by rail to the Port of East London, in the Eastern Cape. The company completed its first vessel from East London during October.
Tshipi é Ntle has become the first manganese producer to have exported its product through all South African ports.
The manganese mining company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation decreased to A$32.7-million. from A$49-million in the June quarter, on the back of a lower manganese price.
Jupiter states that the manganese ore market was impacted on by global macroeconomic factors during the quarter, including heightened inflation and interest rates.