UK-based mining giant Anglo American has announced that it produced 6.5 million mt iron ore at its Minas-Rio project in the fourth quarter of 2020, increasing by five percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, reflecting a continued strong performance following the one-month planned stoppage for a routine internal scanning of the pipeline in the third quarter. In 2020, the company produced 24.1 million mt iron ore at the Minas-Rio project, up by four percent year on year.
In the fourth quarter of 2020, the company’s iron ore production at Kumba decreased by 19 percent year on year to 9.6 million mt, largely driven by higher-than-average rainfall, which has continued into 2021, and operational issues at the Sishen crusher and the Kolomela plant. In the given quarter, iron ore sales from the Kumba mine decreased by three percent year on year to 10.1 million mt. In 2020, the company’s iron ore production at Kumba decreased by 13 percent year on year to 37 million mt.
Besides, Anglo American’s metallurgical coal production amounted to 4.2 million mt in the fourth quarter, falling by 14 percent compared to the first quarter of 2019 and down by 33 percent year on year, due to the suspension of operations at Grosvenor following the underground gas incident in May 2020, and lower Moranbah production owing to geotechnical challenges. In 2020, the company’s metallurgical coal production amounted to 16.8 million mt, falling by 26 percent compared to the previous year.
Anglo American’s iron ore production guidance for 2021 remains at 64-67 million mt, including 40-41 million mt at the Kumba mine and 24-26 million mt at the Minas-Rio project, while metallurgical coal production guidance for 2021 is unchanged at 18-21 million mt, subject to the extent of further Covid-19-related disruptions.