Armenia cuts molybdenum output, boosts copper in 2009
YEREVAN. Feb 1 (Interfax) - Armenia reduced ferromolybdenum output 3.4% in 2009 to 5,144 tonnes, the National Statistics Service said.
Molybdenum concentrate production fell 2.4% to 8,559 tonnes, however output grew 5.8% to 6,858 tonnes of converter copper and 23.9% to 88,339 tonnes of copper concentrate. Zinc concentrate production fell 6.4% to 6,989 tonnes.
OJSC Pure Iron told Interfax that it reduced ferromolybdenum (68%-moly) 5.7% to 2,764 tonnes and 53.3% to 16.4 billion dram (375.5 dram/$1 on Feb. 1).
Pure molybdenum (99.6% metal) output fell 47.4% to 3.3 billion dram.
The company said output fell due to the drop in world prices for molybdenum and its alloys. The company, which is 51%-owned by Germany's Cronimet Mining, exports all of its output to Europe. It exported 2,874 tonnes of ferromolybdenum, up 2%, in 2009. Exports in value fell 48% to 17.4 billion dram.