Australia-based South32’s alumina guidance for FY2021 ending June stands at 3.96mn mt and 1.37mn mt from Worsley and Brazil operations, respectively. In FY 2020, the company produced 3.87mn mt of Alumina from Worsely and 1.38mn mt from Brazil.
Aluminium production guidance at Hillside Aluminium is 720,000mt and 273,000mt from Mozal Aluminium. In the last financial year aluminium production at Hillside stood at 718,000mt and that at Mozal was 268,000mt.
In Q3 FY 2021 ending March, the company’s alumina production stood at 1.21mn mt, down from 1.27mn mt in the prior-year period. From the preceding quarter, however, it increased by 13pc. Aluminium production in the period stood at 240,000mt down from 245,000mt in the prior-year period but up by 3pc from the preceding quarter.
Lead and zinc
South32 produced 31,200mt of payable lead in Q3, up from 25,000mt in Q3 FY2020. From Q2 FY2021, it rose by 6pc. The company has raised its guidance for lead production for the financial year by 10pc to 130,000mt from its Cannington operations.
Payable zinc production stood at 18,000mt in the quarter, up from 17,300mt in the prior-year quarter and by 1pc from the preceding
quarter. Like lead, the guidance for zinc was also raised by 10pc to 69,000mt.
Nickel
The company’s nickel production in the quarter declined to 7,100mt from 10,300mt in the prior-year period. From the preceding quarter, it rose by 16pc. Its guidance for payable zinc in FY21 stands at 34,600mt, down from 40,600mt produced last year.
South 32 states that it has successfully completed a major furnace refurbishment at Cerro Matoso and has approved further investment in a new project that will lift future nickel production.