Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant Reports 3% production increase in Q1 2011

January through March 2011, Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant (CZP) produced 39,576 tonnes of salable SHG zinc and zinc based alloys, an increase of 3% as compared to the same period of 2010 (38,570 tonnes). 53.6% of metal was supplied to the domestic market.
CZP’s affiliated company, Nova Zinc LLC, operator of Akzhal zinc and lead ore mine in Kazakhstan, produced stripping works 1,141 thousand cubic meters in January - March 2011, 32% more than for the same period of 2010 (867 thousand cbm), and processed 421.6 thousand tonnes of ore in January - March 2011, 40% more than for the same period of 2010 (301.3 thousand tonnes).
Average zinc content in the ore for the period was 2.35% with average lead content of 0.52%, compared to 2.72% and 0.43% respectively a year ago.
Production of zinc in zinc concentrate for the three months 2011 increased by 20% to 8,642 tonnes over the prior year result of the same period of 7,218 tonnes. Lead in lead concentrate production increased by 68% to 1,732 tonnes (vs. 1,028 in Q1 2010).
CZP’s subsidiary, The Brock Metal Company Limited (the leading UK supplier of zinc die-casting alloys) sold 6,908 tonnes of products January through March 2011, 2% less than for the same period of 2010 (7,081 tonnes).
«The increase of Chelyabinsk Zinc Plan production is a consequence of growth of zinc consumption both in Russia, and on foreign markets. Probably this trend it will remain and in the future», - Leonid Khazanov, the observer of Metal Supply and Sale Magazine, said.