Glencore Xstrata produced 34.1 million mt of coal in the first quarter, up 4% year on year, due to higher output from its Colombian Cerrejon operations and higher Australian thermal coal volumes, it said Tuesday.
The miner said output from Cerrejon, a joint venture between it, Anglo American and BHP Billiton, rose 93% year on year to 2.9 million mt, due to a 32-day strike in early 2013.
Thermal coal production at Glencore Xstrata's Colombian Prodeco operations rose 4% to 5.2 million mt, following an expansion project set to increase production to around 21 million mt/year.
The average realized export price from Prodeco was $77/mt, down 18%, and $69/mt from Cerrejon, down 10%. Platts Q1 2014 average price for its weekly FOB Colombia 6,000 kcal/kg NAR assessment was $69.25/mt.
Australian thermal coal and semi soft coal production gained 3% to 14.1 million mt, attributed to productivity improvements at Bulga and a ramp-up at Ravensworth North and Rolleston phase 1 mines.
Of the total, Australian thermal coal production for the export market was 11.8 million mt, up 7%, while thermal coal for the domestic market edged 13% lower to 1.4 million mt.
Australian thermal coal average realized export price for the first quarter was $78/mt, an 11% drop year on year, while its average realized domestic price was $30/mt, down 19%.
Platts Q1 average price for its daily FOB Newcastle 6,300 kcal/kg GAR assessment was $77.74/mt, while its Q1 average for FOB Newcastle 5,500 kcal/kg NAR coal was $66.49/mt.
Australian semi-soft output in Q1, meanwhile, dropped 18% to 900,000 mt.
The Australian semi soft coal realized export price was $104/mt, down 12%.
South African thermal coal production fell 3% to 10.4 million mt, due to delays from "wet weather, unprotected industrial action at Goedgevonden and the impact of mining through low yield areas at certain operations," the miner said.
Glencore also attributed the lower output to the closure of the Klippan and Wonderfontein underground mines in the fourth quarter of 2013 which was "only partially offset" by new Wonderfontein open-cut operations in the first quarter.
Of the thermal coal production in South Africa, 5 million mt was directed to the export market, a 2% rise, while 5.4 million mt was for the domestic market, a 7% drop.
The average first-quarter realized export price for South African thermal coal was $73/mt, down 13%, while its domestic price was $22/mt, 21% lower.
Platts Q1 average price for its daily FOB Richards Bay 6,000 kcal/kg NAR assessment was $77.99/mt, and for its FOB Richards Bay 5,500 kcal/kg NAR was $65.34/mt.
