JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – JSE-listed Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) on Thursday said that its equivalent refined platinum production rose 2% year-on-year during the quarter ended June 2013, despite labour unrest and a constrained operating environment.

During the three months to June 2013, 594 000 oz of platinum equivalent was produced, of which 397 000 oz came from Amplats’ own operations.

The miner said in a production update that a lack of flexibility in the current labour environment to redeploy employees to operations where there were skills shortages, in addition to intermittent illegal industrial action, including the national bus driver strike that had hampered employees’ commute to work, and safety stoppages, had negatively impacted on its underground operating performance.

Amplats recorded a first-quarter loss of about 16 000 oz of equivalent refined platinum production owing to unprotected strike action.

However, second-quarter output from the various Rustenburg and Amandelbult mines increased by 6 218 oz and 5 057 oz, to 151 000 oz and 89 000 oz respectively.

Mogalakwena mine produced 78 000 oz during the period under review – 3 626 oz more than the output during the corresponding quarter in the prior year.

Production from the Unki mine and other joint venture operations remained flat at 15 000 oz and 58 000 oz respectively.

The Union mines recorded a 21% year-on-year decline, with production falling to 47 000 oz during the three months under review, compared with the 59 000 oz achieved in the corresponding period the year before.

Refined production of palladium and rhodium decreased by 10% and 7% year-on-year to 320 000 oz and 70 000 oz respectively.

Amplats said earlier this week that it would report a big increase in headline earnings when it publishes its half-year results next week. Headline earnings a share (Heps) for the six months ended June 30 were expected to be between R4.80 a share and R5.35 a share, from the R2.73 a share reported in the comparative 2012 period.

The company attributed the near doubling of Heps to a weaker average rand against the dollar exchange rate and higher sales volumes, partially offset by the impact of higher costs and lower realised dollar metal prices.

After suffering a loss in 2012, Amplats announced this year that it would cut up to 6 000 jobs in a bid to restore profits.