South32 Q3 alumina production drops 13% QoQ, reduces FY19 production guidance

Mining company South32 reported total alumina production of 3.74 million tonnes in the nine months ended March 2019, compared to 3.77 million tonnes in the nine months ended March 2018. In Q3 FY19, alumina production stood at 1.2 million tonnes. This was down 13 per cent quarter-on-quarter.

Production at Worsley Alumina increased by one per cent to 2.8 million tonnes in the nine months ended March 2019, as further calciner maintenance was undertaken and the refinery retained a substantial hydrate inventory position. In Q3 FY2019, alumina production stood at 893,000 tonnes, down 15 per cent QoQ. The company will increase production to nameplate capacity of 4.6 million tonnes per year from FY20.

Sales from Worsley Alumina fell one per cent to 2.8 million tonnes in the nine months ended March 2019.

South32 reduced FY2019 production guidance at Worsley Alumina by four per cent to 3.79 million tonnes. “At Worsley Alumina we have lowered production guidance for FY19 as we focus on improving calciner performance to sustainably achieve nameplate capacity,” Graham Kerr, South32 CEO said.

Production at Brazil Alumina decreased by five per cent to 944,000 tonnes in the nine months ended March 2019, “as boiler performance and power outages impacted production and our ability to realise the full benefits of the De-bottlenecking Phase One project.” In Q3 FY2019, alumina production stood at 308,000 tonnes, down seven per cent QoQ.

Sales from Brazil Alumina declined 10 per cent to 866,000 tonnes in the nine months ended March 2019.

The company also reduced production guidance at Brazil Alumina by 5% for FY19. “Guidance reduced by 5% with package boilers introduced to improve the reliability of steam generation ahead of realising the full benefits of the De-bottlenecking Phase One project,” the company said.

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