Brazilian miner Vale has announced that the Minas Gerais Court of Justice has partially suspended the injunction of the Court of Santa Bárbara, specifically in regard to the latter’s ruling which ordered the immediate interruption of any activity that could lead to an increase in the risk of rupture of the tailing structures located in the municipality of São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo.
Vale said that this decision will allow the complete resumption of operations at its Brucutu mine in the next 72 hours, with the mine’s output equivalent to a yearly production volume of 30 million mt.
However, heavy rains in São Luís do Maranhão in March and April affected shipments at the Ponta da Madeira port, the railway transportation on Carajás Railroad, thus impacting the production volumes at Vale’s Northern System.
As a result of both events, Vale reaffirms its 2019 iron ore and pellets sales guidance of 307-332 million mt, as previously announced, and indicates that its current sales volume expectation should stay around the middle of the range in question.