Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant increased production by 44%

January through September 2010, Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant produced 119.8 thousand tonnes of zinc and zinc based alloys, an increase of 44% as compared to the same period of 2009 (83.2 thousand tonnes). 48% of salable metal was supplied to the domestic market, 51% - under the tollling agreement; 1% - export.

CZP’s affiliated company, Nova Zinc, operator of Akzhal zinc and lead ore mine in Kazakhstan, processed 1,120 thousand tones of ore in January-September of 2010, 22% more than for the same period of 2009 (917 thousand tonnes).

Average zinc content in the ore for the period was 2.31% with average lead content of 0.35%, compared to 3.15% and 0.41% respectively a year ago. The main factor of decrease was mainly the using of low grade ore.
Production of zinc in zinc concentrate for the nine months of 2010 decrease by 15%, to 22.4 thousand tonnes over the prior year result of the same period of 26.2 thousand tonnes. Lead in lead concentrate production reached 3.05 thousand tonnes which corresponds the level of the previous year (3.04 thousand tonnes).

CZP’s affiliated company, The Brock Metal (the UK supplier of zinc die-casting alloys) sold 21 thousand tonnes of products in January through September 2010, 34% more than for the same period of 2009 (15.7 thousand tonnes).