Palabora Q1 production falls amid challenges
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – First-quarter production at JSE-listed Palabora’s operation had been impacted on by a number of unexpected challenges during the period, the company said on Monday.
The operation reported a drop in ore hoisting, moving only 2.07-million tonnes during the first quarter, compared with the 2.7-million tonnes hoisted in the corresponding period the year before.
This was as a result of the south winder bearing failure, as well as the one-week unprotected strike by underground employees.
The total ore treated was 27% lower, at 2.1-million tonnes, during the three months under review, compared with the reported 2.9-million tonnes treated in the first quarter of 2012.
“The first quarter of the year was challenging for Palabora, with a number of unforeseen events, including a rail derailment, in Mozambique … affecting magnetite exports through Mozambique for almost two months,” the company added.
The copper producer experienced 32% lower copper concentrate output, which decreased to 35 500 t during the first quarter of the year, from 51 800 t in the corresponding period the year before.
Refined copper output reached 13 000 t by the first quarter of this year – a 13% decline from the 15 000 t produced in the first quarter of last year. However, this was higher than the 8 700 t produced in the previous quarter.
Magnetite production rose to 1.1-million tonnes in the period under review, compared with 2012 first-quarter production of 957 000 t. However, this represented a decline compared with the immediately preceding quarter’s production of 1.4-million tonnes.
Palabora reported vermiculite output of 32 000 t during the first quarter – a 32% decrease from the 47 000 t recorded in the first quarter of the prior year.
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