Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant reports 15.5% production increase for the 3Q of 2009

Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant, Russia’s largest producer of zinc and zinc alloys, is pleased to announce its production results for the nine months of 2009.

July through September 2009, Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant (CZP) produced 31,5 thousand tonnes of salable SHG zinc and zinc based alloys, an increase of 15.3% as compared to the second quarter of 2009 (27.3 thousand tonnes) and an increase of 29.6% as compared to first quarter of 2009 (24.3 thousand tonnes).

January through September 2009, Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant (CZP) produced 83.2 thousand tonnes of salable SHG zinc and zinc based alloys, a decrease of 29.6% as compared to the same period of 2008 (118.1 thousand tonnes). 64% of salable metal was supplied to the domestic market.

CZP’s subsidiary, Nova Zinc LLC, operator of Akzhal zinc and lead ore mine in Kazakhstan, processed 916.7 thousand tones of ore in January - September of 2009, 9.3% less than for the same period of 2008 (1,010.5 thousand tonnes).

Average zinc content in the ore for the period was 3.15% with average lead content of 0.41%, compared to 2.49% and 0.5% respectively a year ago.

Production of zinc in zinc concentrate for the first nine months of 2009 increased 14.6% to 26,229 tonnes over the prior year result of the same period of 22,889 tonnes. Lead in lead concentrate production decreased by 24.2% to 3,042 tonnes (vs. 4,015 in 2008).

CZP’s subsidiary, The Brock Metal Company Limited (the leading UK supplier of zinc die-casting alloys) sold 15,731 tonnes of products January through September 2009, 25.3% less than for the same period of 2008 (21,058 tonnes).