Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant produced 153.3 thousand tonnes of zinc in 2010

January through December 2010, Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant (CZP) produced 153.3 thousand tonnes of salable SHG zinc and zinc based alloys, an increase of 28% as compared to the same period of 2009 (119.9 thousand tonnes). 51% of salable metal was supplied to the domestic market, 48% - under the tollling agreement; 1% - export.

CZP’s affiliated company, Nova Zinc LLC, operator of Akzhal zinc and lead ore mine in Kazakhstan, produced stripping works 4,277 thousand cubic meters in January - December 2010, 55% more than for the same period of 2009 (2,758 thousand cbm) and processed 1,550.6 thousand tonnes of ore, 30% more than for the twelve months 2009 (1,192.7 thousand tonnes).

Average metal content in the ore for the period was 2.33% of zinc and 0.35% of lead, compared to 3.21% and 0.42% respectively a year ago. The main factor of decrease was the using of low-grade ore.

Production of zinc in zinc concentrate for the twelve months 2010 decrease by 10%, to 31.4 thousand tonnes over the prior year result of the same period of 34.8 thousand tonnes. Lead in lead concentrate production reached 4.3 thousand tonnes, 7% more than for the twelve months 2009 (4 thousand tonnes).

CZP’s affiliated company, The Brock Metal Company Limited (the leading UK supplier of zinc die-casting alloys) sold 27.2 thousand tonnes of products in January through December 2010, 22% more than for the same period of 2009 (22.2 thousand tonnes), including 24.4 thousand tonnes of zinc alloys.