Glencore Plc said Feb. 1 that fourth-quarter 2017 copper production from its own sources rose quarter on quarter to 363,200 tonnes from 303,600 tonnes, while zinc output inched up to 262,800 tonnes from 256,600 tonnes.
The increase in copper output was due to resolving constrained sulfuric acid supply at Mutanda that resulted in lower throughput in the third quarter and completing smelter maintenance at Mount Isa.
Nickel output slightly dipped quarterly to 28,400 tonnes from 29,500 tonnes, while coal output stayed in line with the previous quarter at 29.6 million tonnes.
The company's full-year 2017 copper production dropped 8% on a yearly basis to 1.3 million tonnes, while zinc output was stable at 1.1 million tonnes.
Among other factors, the drop in copper output reflected the sale of a minority stake in Ernest Henry during the fourth quarter of 2016 and end-of-life production declines at Alumbrera.
The company's Katanga Mining Ltd. unit produced 9,459 tonnes for the year as ore mining resumed in the fourth quarter of 2017 following commissioning phase one of the WOL project, part of the Kamoto copper project.
The ramp-up in Antamina's zinc production was partially offset by the disposal of its African mines to Trevali Mining Corp. as well as lower production at Mount Isa.
Own-sourced nickel production declined 5% year over year to 109,100 tonnes in 2017, following changes in the use of third-party versus own-sourced feeds in the integrated nickel operations circuit, partly offset by a strengthening operational performance at Koniambo.
Full-year coal production decreased 3% to 120.6 million tonnes in 2017 due to reductions associated with industrial action and inclement weather but was mostly offset by productivity improvements and the company's higher equity share in certain mines.
Glencore is facing a strike at its Oaky North coal mine in Queensland, Australia, where it filed an application to terminate an enterprise agreement with its union workers who continually received production bonuses of up to A$700.
Attributable ferrochrome production, meanwhile, remained in line with the 2016 output at 1.5 million tonnes.
Lead production dropped 7% over 2016 output to 272,500 tonnes, gold production stayed in line with its 2016 output at 1.03 million ounces, and silver production slid to 37.7 million ounces from 39.1 million ounces.
The company also experienced yearly drops in its 2017 platinum, palladium and rhodium output of 22%, 23% and 19%, respectively, to 116,000 ounces, 161,000 ounces and 13,000 ounces. Cobalt production inched down 3% to 27,400 tonnes.
The diversified commodities giant is targeting full-year 2018 production of up to 1.5 million tonnes of copper, 1.1 million tonnes of zinc, 137,000 tonnes of nickel and 139 million tonnes of coal. Ferrochrome output is expected to rise to as much as 1.6 million tonnes, and cobalt production could rise to 42,000 tonnes.
