Norilsk Nickel reduces nickel output 4% to 139,400 tonnes in H1
MOSCOW. July 29 (Interfax) - Norilsk Nickel produced 139,387 tonnes of nickel in the first half of 2013, 4% less than in the same period last year, the company said.
Nickel production in the second quarter was down 5% year-on-year to 67,814 tonnes.
The decline in Q2 was "mostly due to the short delivery of semi-products to Kola MMC and Harjavalta, and the mothballing of the Group's Australian asset Lake Johnston," the company said.
"In the second quarter of 2013, the Russian divisions of the company produced 55.5 thousand tonnes of nickel, which represents a 2% decline q-o-q. The decrease in nickel production was caused by short delivery of high-grade matte from the Polar Division to Kola MMC due to earlier than usual termination of winter navigation in May as well as off-schedule repair works at Oktyabrsky mine and Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant. Nickel production in the first half of 2013 achieved 112 thousand tonnes representing a 3% decrease year-on-year," it said.
"In Q2 2013 Tati Nickel produced 1.9 thousand tonnes of nickel in concentrate while during H1 2013 its output amounted to 4.1 thousand tonnes of nickel in concentrate (down 25% y-o-y). The key reason for the decrease was lower nickel grades in the processed ore," it said.
"The production of nickel in concentrate by Nkomati (reported on 50% basis) in the second quarter of 2013 totaled 3.3 thousand tonnes, increasing 26% q-o-q. Notable production results were achieved by the stable and well-coordinated work of concentration facilities and higher nickel grade in ore. Overall, in H1 2013 the production of nickel in concentrate by Nkomati amounted to 6 thousand tonnes. In the reporting periods all nickel in concentrate produced by Nkomati was delivered for further processing to the Norilsk Nickel Harjavalta refinery in Finland," it said.
"In Q2 2013 Lake Johnston produced 1.2 thousand tonnes of nickel in concentrate, in the first half of 2013 - 2.8 thousand tonnes (down 30% y-o-y). The decrease in nickel production by Lake Johnston was due to putting the Australian asset on care and maintenance as part of cost control measures in the current unfavorable nickel market conditions," it said.
Norilsk Nickel plans to produce from 275,000 to 285,000 tonnes of nickel this year, which would be a 5%-8% year-on-year decrease, including from 230,000 to 235,000 tonnes at its Russian mines.
