Brazil-based miner Vale has announced its operational results for the second quarter of current year.
Accordingly, the company has reported iron ore production of 75.68 million mt in the second quarter, rising by 11.3 percent compared to the previous quarter and up 12 percent year on year, achieving a current capacity of 330 million mt per year, which if sustained could allow for an average of 1 million mt per day production in the second half of the current year, due to the favorable seasonality from better weather conditions in the period.
In the given quarter, Vale’s pellet production totaled 8 million mt, rising by 27.4 percent compared to the previous quarter and by 13.3 percent year on year, although still limited by pellet feed capacity. The miner mainly explained the quarterly increase by the seasonally higher pellet feed availability which was mainly directed to Oman plants and by the ramp-up of Vargem Grande pellet plant.
Meanwhile, in the given period, Vale’s coal production increased by 63 percent year on year to 2.09 million mt.
In the given quarter, Vale’s sales of iron ore and pellets reached 74.9 million mt, up by 14.2 percent compared to the previous quarter, as iron ore production increased.