Primary lead smelters operating rates inched up on resumption after overhaul

SHANGHAI, Jun 12 (SMM) – Operating rates across primary lead smelters in Henan, Hunan and Yunnan provinces averaged 52.7% in the week ended June 12, up 0.9 percentage point from the week before, showed an SMM survey.

Yunnan Mengzi smelter concluded its regular maintenance and generated output as expected this week. This lifted the average operating rates in Yunnan by 4.4 percentage points on the week to 38%. 

The respective rates in Henan and Hunan held unchanged from a week ago, at 62.9% and 45%. Hunan Jingui has not carried out maintenance so far and its maintenance schedule remains undetermined. 

Hunan Shuikoushan and Yunnan Chihong have planned for overhauls in the future.