Vale coal production reaches 1.7 million t in 1Q16

Brazilian mining company Vale has reported its production results for its coal operations in Australia and Moatize.

The mining giant has reported that coal production reached 1.7 million t in 1Q16, 4.9% higher than in 4Q15. This was reported to be a result of metallurgical coal production in Australia and 1.9% lower than in 1Q15 due to lower production in Moatize.

Australian operations

Vale’s Carborough Downs in Australia reached its second highest quarterly production mark of 763 000 t in 1Q16, 105.7% and 41.1% higher than in 4Q15 and 1Q15 respectively. Vale indicated this was due to excellent operational performance at the mine, after longwall moves, which occurred in March, October and November of 2015, impacting production in 1Q15 and 4Q15.

Moatize operations

Production at Moatize however came in at 900 000 t in 1Q16, with a decline in both metallurgical and thermal coal production, due to the prioritisation of waste movement of around 7.6 million t in order to prepare the mine for the start-up of the coal handling facility scheduled for May and an unscheduled six-day maintenance stoppage at the plant in January to increase its availability.

Since the maintenance stoppage, the plant has been operating at appropriate levels.

Production of metallurgical coal was 31% and 17.1% lower than in 4Q15 and 1Q15, respectively, and production of thermal coal was 12.8% and 30.4% lower compared to the same quarters.

The ramp-up of the Nacala Logistics Corridor continued as planned, transporting 747 000 t on the railway in 1Q16 against 241 000 t in 4Q15 and concluding thirteen shipments in 1Q16 compared with one shipment in 4Q15.

Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/25042016/vale-coal-production-reaches-17-million-t-in-1q16-655/