Vale reports record on coal production, decline on iron, copper and potash output

Brazilian mining giant Vale has reported production declines in iron ore, manganese, copper and potash for the first nine months of this year, while hitting an all-time high at its coal output. For the January-September period, the company reported iron ore production of 234.5 million tonnes, down 2.2% over the first nine months of 2011, when it totaled 240 million tonnes. In a statement, Vale blamed lower iron content, higher costs and issues with environmental permitting in the Carajás mineral province as reasons for the drop. On the flipside, output at the company’s iron ore mines in Minas Gerais state had its best third quarter performance since 2008.

Manganese ore production dropped 5.5% while copper production declined 3% - with a 20% decline in the third-quarter. Potash production also had a sharp drop, tumbling 13% to 387,000 metric tonnes in the first nine months of this year.

Meanwhile, Vale’s coal output increased a record 144.4% during the period to 3.61 million tonnes of coking coal and 586,000 tonnes of thermal coal in the first nine months of 2012.