The information in this Production Report, unless stated otherwise, relates to the three months ended 31 December 2012, and is compared to the corresponding three months ended 31 December 2011. Production volumes for Q3 2012 and full years 2012 and 2011 are provided for additional information.
The Ferroalloys and Iron Ore Divisions operated at full available capacity for the quarter. The Energy Division operated at full available capacity for electricity, coal and special coke production. The Alumina and Aluminium Division operated below capacity for alumina production due to technical issues that have now been rectified. In the Other Non-ferrous Division, production of saleable copper contained showed a decrease against the corresponding period due to continued power disruptions and a delay in delivery of concentrate supplied by Camrose.
Ferroalloys Division.Overall gross ferrochrome production increased by 6.8% compared to Q4 2011, with an 8.7% increase in high-carbon ferrochrome. Low-carbon ferrochrome production increased 4.5%, ferrosilicochrome 2.2%, silicomanganese 21.6%. Total saleable ferroalloys production for the quarter increased 8.9% on Q4 2011. Saleable high-carbon ferrochrome production increased 9.3%.
Iron Ore Division.Iron ore extraction and primary concentrate production increased by 4.4% and 6.8%, respectively, against the comparable period. Both saleable concentrate and saleable pellet increased against Q4 2011 by 10.9% and 11.7% respectively, with total saleable product increasing 11.3% against Q4 2011.
Alumina and Aluminium Division. Bauxite extraction decreased 17.5% and alumina production decreased 12.4% against Q4 2011. Aluminium production marginally decreased by 1kt or 1.6% on Q4 2011, while maintaining annual production volume at the 2011 level.
Other Non-ferrous Division. Production of saleable copper in Q4 2012 was 7,756 t, a 4.0% decrease versus Q4 2011. Saleable cobalt production fell 28.4% to 2,042 t versus Q4 2011 caused by an increase of internal consumption at Chambishi and a decrease in the availability of oxide ore.
Energy Division. Coal extraction by EEC increased by 1.0% compared to Q4 2011. Electricity generation decreased 1.6% compared to Q4 2011, while sales to third-parties decreased 30.2% on Q4 2011, reflecting an increase in internal consumption. Shubarkol coal extraction increased 17.5% and special coke production by 8.2% against Q3 2012.
Logistics Division.The volume of goods transported by rail increased 3.0% compared to Q4 2011. The proportion of volumes attributable to third parties decreased by 3.7 percentage points from Q4 2011.
Felix Vulis, CEO of ENRC said, "In 2012, we achieved the highest annual production volumes since the IPO for saleable ferroalloys, electricity and coal, even before the addition of 5.6 million tonnes of coal from Shubarkol. Our Iron Ore Division overcame recent technological issues to deliver its best quarter in 2.5 years in terms of saleable product. Elsewhere, alumina experienced lower output due to production problems that have now been rectified. In Q4 2012, copper volumes suffered from disruption in power supply, however, achieved significant production increase on 2011 full year level. We anticipate delivering a strong operational performance across the Group in 2013."
