Recently, the third quarter production reports of the major mining enterprises in the world have been released one after another, in the complex international situation, the production situation of mining enterprises is particularly worthy of attention.
Anglo produced 11500 tons of nickel in the third quarter of 2018 and 11200 tons in the third quarter of 2017, up 3 per cent from a year earlier. Production was 30900 tons in the first nine months of 2018 and 32400 tons in the first nine months of 2017, down 5 per cent from a year earlier.
Anglo produced 5600 tons of refined nickel in the third quarter of 2018, 5700 tons in the second quarter of 2018 and 7000 tons in the third quarter of 2017, down 2 per cent from a month earlier and 20 per cent from a year earlier. Refined nickel production was 16400 tons in the first nine months of 2018, compared with 18200 tons in the same period in 2017, down 10 per cent from a year earlier.
Nickel production increased by 3 to 11500 tons in the third quarter compared with the same period last year as a result of improved production stability at the Baro Alto (Barro Alto) production facility in 2018.
Anglo's current guidance on full-year nickel production remains unchanged in the range of 4.2-44000 tons.
Glencore
Glencore produced 28700 tons of nickel in the third quarter of 2018 and 29500 tons in the third quarter of 2017, down 3 per cent from a year earlier. Nickel production was 90900 tons in the first nine months of 2018, compared with 80700 tons in the same period in 2017, up 13 per cent from a year earlier.
Sudbury, Raglan, Nikkelverk areas
Of these, total nickel production in Sudbury, Raglan and Nikkelverk was 43300 tons in the first nine months of 2018, compared with 43400 tons in the same period in 2017, down 1 per cent from a year earlier. The output of nickel concentrate is 400 tons.
Murrin area
The Murrin region produced 25700 tons of nickel in the first nine months of 2018, compared with 24600 tons in the same period in 2017, up 4 per cent from a year earlier.
Koniambo area
The Koniambo region produced 21500 tons of refined nickel in the first nine months of 2018, compared with 12300 tons in the same period in 2017, up 75 per cent from a year earlier.
Glencore's nickel production fell slightly in the third quarter of 2018 from a year earlier, but its production has risen since the beginning of the year, mainly due to a sharp increase in refined nickel production in the Koniambo region.
South 32
South 32 produced 32500 tons of nickel in the first nine months of 2018, compared with 26800 tons in the same period in 2017, up 21 per cent from a year earlier. The company produced 10700 tons of nickel in the third quarter of 2018, 10100 tons in the second quarter and 9100 tons in the third quarter of 2017, up 6 per cent from a month earlier.
South 32's Cerro Matoso profitable nickel production rose 21 per cent to 32500 tonnes in the nine months to 2018. The main maintenance of the furnace was completed as planned in the current quarter. The company is in better-than-expected operating conditions and is expected to produce just over 41600 tons in fiscal 2018. Production has not been affected by environmental resolutions made by the health and environmental impact of the communities around the Constitutional Court of Colombia. The South32 is currently appealing against the government decision.
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton's Mt Keith mine, which belongs to Nickel West, produced 50200 tons of nickel concentrate in the first nine months of 2018, with an average nickel grade of 18.9 percent, and 54400 tons of nickel in the first nine months of 2017. the average nickel grade was 20.5 percent. It was down 42% from a year earlier.
The Leinster mine owned by Nickel West produced 78800 tons of nickel concentrate in the first nine months of 2018, with an average nickel grade of 8.4 per cent, and 78700 tons of nickel in the first nine months of 2017, with an average nickel grade of 9.3 per cent, an increase of 1 per cent over the same period last year.
Its refined nickel production was 19800 tons in the first nine months of 2018, compared with 16000 tons in the same period in 2017, up 38 per cent from a year earlier. BHP produced 21400 tons of nickel in the first nine months of 2018, compared with 23300 tons in the same period in 2017, down 19 per cent from a year earlier.
(Nickel West (Western nickel) production fell 8 per cent to 21000 tons. On September 23, 2018, the Karguri smelter was suspended from operation due to a fire that damaged parts of the furnace building. The smelter resumed operation on October 1, 2018 and is expected to start operating at full capacity from early November 2018.
The planned maintenance of the Kwinana refinery has been advanced to tie in with the shutdown of the smelter, so the production guidance for fiscal year 2019 remains unchanged and is expected to be basically in line with fiscal year 2018.
Vale
Vale produced 55700 tons of nickel in the third quarter of 2018, 66200 tons in the second quarter and 72700 tons in the third quarter of 2017, down 23.4 per cent from a year earlier and 15.9 per cent from a month earlier.
The company produced 180600 tons of nickel in the first nine months of 2018, compared with 210100 tons in the same period in 2017, down 14 per cent from a year earlier.
As previously announced, nickel production in the quarter reflects the one-off impact of the planned shutdown maintenance at the Sudbury plant, the first annual maintenance at the Sudbury plant since the completion of the transition to a single calciner. At the same time, the Thompson plant has completed the transformation to the "mine and concentrator" mode of operation. As nickel from the Thompson plant now needs to be sent to the Sudbury plant for smelting, the temporary impact on the two plants resulted in nickel production of 55700 tons in the third quarter. These two one-off factors only had an impact on the third quarter of this year. With improvements in the process flow between the Thompson and Sudbury plants, nickel production is expected to return to established guidance levels in the fourth quarter and beyond.
In addition, the nickel business is being restructured and its performance is expected to continue to improve in 2019, and the new management team is working to adjust mining plans, optimize the cost structure of the nickel business and improve efficiency.
Norilsk Nickel
Nornickel's main nickel assets are located on the Taymyr and Kola peninsula in northern Russia. Norilsk nickel said nickel production was flat at 157080 tons in the first nine months of 2018. Its nickel production in 2017 is 210000 tons, and its full-year forecast for 2018 is between 210000 tons and 215000 tons, which is likely to increase by 5 per cent year-on-year.
