On February 1, Anglo-Swiss ferroalloy and
coking coal producer
Xstrata Plc announced that its
coking coal output in Australia amounted to 7.7 million mt in 2010 from 6.4 million mt in the previous year, as a result of a full year of
production from Oaky No. 1 and high productivity from Oaky North. This was partially offset by lower
production at the Tahmoor mine in New South Wales due to the now resolved industrial action in the second half of the year. The company's semi-soft
coking coal production increased to 6.6 million metric tons from 6.2 million mt last year.
In 2010,
Xstrata's average received export price for Australian
coking coal stood at $204.3/mt FOB, compared with $145/mt FOB a year ago, while the average export price for Australian semi-soft
coking coal came to $137.3/mt, from $122.5/mt FOB in 2009.
Alloys operations back at high capacities
Xstrata's ferrochrome
production increased 48 percent to 1.17 million mt in 2010 from 786,000 mt in 2009, in response to a recovery in market conditions and improved demand, following the suspension of up to 80 percent of operation capacity in 2009.
Meanwhile,
Xstrata's 2010 ferrovanadium
production volumes increased by 89 percent compared to 2009, amounting to 4,311 mt after operations suspended were back in track in the year.
Xstrata's total refined nickel
production in 2010 rose to 92,185mt compared to 88,577 mt in 2009.