Australian metals miner South32 Limited released results for the second quarter earlier this week. Production of alumina rose slightly in the quarter while aluminium production held steady.
In the previous quarter South32 refined 1,358 thousand metric tons, up by 6 percent on the month from last quarter’s total of 1,276 thousand metric tons and roughly equal on the year from last year’s total of 1,307 thousand metric tons. Record production at Brazil Alumina helped bolster the quarter’s production numbers. In addition, production at Worsley Alumina rose by 2 percent thanks to an uplift in calciner availability, and the firm says the plant remains on pace for reaching nameplate production capacity in the near future.
Last quarter saw South32 smelt 245 thousand metric tons of primary aluminium, which is identical to the prior quarter and the previous year’s total. Hillside Aluminium accounted for 178 thousand metric tons of production in the quarter, which was level with the prior quarter and off by 1 thousand metric tons from the prior quarter.
Graham Kerr, South32 CEO, elaborated upon the firm’s performance in the quarter.
“Despite the health crisis, we delivered a strong operating result, highlighted by annual production records at Brazil Alumina, Hillside Aluminium and Australia Manganese ore. We have continued to see good demand for our products, with sales exceeding production at the majority of our operations.”
“Looking forward we remain focussed on reducing controllable costs, managing counterparty and supply chain risk and optimising working capital to ensure the business remains resilient during a potentially extended period of volatility and lower commodity prices,” he concluded.
Based in Perth, Western Australia, South32 began in 2015 as a spin-off of BHP Billiton. The firm operates mines in Australia and South Africa, and markets aluminium, manganese, silver, zinc, lead, nickel, coking coal, and thermal coal.