São Paulo – This Friday (1st), the Brazilian mining company Vale announced that it produced 85.5 million tonnes of iron ore in Q4 2012, up 1.9% from the preceding quarter. According to the company, it was the first increase in output during the fourth quarter since 2003. Still, total annual output in 2012 stood at 319.9 million tonnes, down from 322.6 million tonnes in 2011.
Vale ascribed the Q4 increase to reduced rains and the entry into operation of a new mine in Carajás, in the state of Pará. Due to seasonality, exploration in Q4 is usually lower than in Q3.
Also according to the company, Q4 pellet production reached 55.1 million tonnes, charcoal reached 7.1 million tonnes, and phosphate rock stood at 8 million tonnes. All of these were the highest figures of all quarters in 2012. Nickel production was down 1.9% to 237,000 tonnes.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
