Australia-based Rio Tinto, the world's second biggest iron ore producer, has announced that in the first quarter of the current year its global iron ore production increased by 12 percent year on year to 74.7 million mt. In the given period, the company's global iron ore shipments amounted to 72.5 million mt, up nine percent year on year.
Rio Tinto said that, in its Pilbara expansion project, infrastructure is nearing completion and remains on track for delivery by the end of the first half of 2015.
Rio Tinto's Australian hard coking coal production in the first quarter increased by 10 percent year on year to 2 million mt, as a result of improved production rates at Kestrel South
As previously announced, in 2015 Rio Tinto expects global iron ore shipments of almost 350 million mt from its operations in Australia and Canada. The company's guidance for hard coking coal stands at 7.1 million mt to 8.1 million mt.