In its second quarter operations review, the world's second biggest iron ore producer Australia-based Rio Tinto's global iron ore production remained flat compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
In the given quarter, Rio Tinto's iron ore production was 62 million mt in line with the second quarter of 2011. In the first half of the current year, the company's global iron ore production amounted to 120 million mt, while shipments increased to 115 million mt, both up four percent year on year.
Rio Tinto's operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia produced a record 114 million mt of iron ore in the first six months of the year, increasing by four percent compared to the first half of the previous year. Second quarter iron ore production of Rio Tinto subsidiary Iron Ore Company of Canada was 15 percent higher compared to the previous quarter due to higher volumes of extracted ore resulting from mine improvements and seasonality effects.
Rio Tinto stated that, in the second quarter, its Australian hard coking coal production improved by 13 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, rising 17 percent quarter on quarter.
In 2012, Rio Tinto expects to produce approximately 250 million mt from its global operations in Australia and Canada, subject to weather constraints.