Brazil-based miner Vale has announced its operational results for the first quarter of the current year, reporting iron ore production of 81.95 million mt, decreasing by 12.2 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2017. In the first quarter, Vale’s pellet production totaled 12.78 million mt, down 0.9 percent compared to the previous quarter. Vale’s iron ore production guidance for the current year stands at around 390 million mt.
In the first quarter this year, Vale's nickel production decreased by 24.9 percent quarter on quarter to 58,600 mt.
Meanwhile, in the given quarter, Vale’s coal production amounted to 2.43 million mt, decreasing by 5.6 percent compared to the fourth quarter. Production of metallurgical coal from Vale's Mozambique mine amounted to 1.40 million mt, 1.3 percent lower than the previous quarter.