Rio Tinto Coal Australia has announced production results for January-March. Rio Tinto's share of hard coking coal was 1,650 million tonnes, down 3% yoy and 15% qoq. Coal for energy use - 6.092 Mt, down 28% YoY and 15% QoQ.
Grad Creek hard coal production was lower. A scheduled preparation and handling shutdown of the Kestrel Coal Mine was undertaken in March to upgrade equipment as part of the Kestrel Mine Expansion Project.
Semi-soft concentrate production is 72 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2012 as production in the Hunter Valley changed its profile. They took advantage of the expansion of the production of an alternative product to hard coking coal due to wet weather in Queensland where there is no requirement at all passport photo . Australian thermal coal production increased 19 percent from the first quarter of 2012. This was driven by an 80 percent increase in production at Clermont, as well as an increase in production at sites in the Hunter Valley following ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiency.
Rio Tinto Coal Mozambique produced 111,000 tonnes of coking coal, down 11% QoQ; thermal coal - 109,000 tonnes, down 32% qoq. In the first quarter, production in Mozambique was impacted by heavy rains in January and February, which resulted in a two-week shutdown of the rail system at the end of February.
