Highlights

• Stronger second quarter volumes of thermal coal, copper, platinum, nickel and zinc, following weather-related and other operational issues which impacted first quarter production
• A rapid recovery at flood-affected mines in Queensland and volumes from newly commissioned Goedgevonden and Mangoola operations contributed to a 5% rise in thermal coal production to 32.4 million tonnes, despite operational challenges at Blakefield South and Ulan mines
• Mined nickel rose by 31% to 36,709 tonnes, benefiting from the successful commissioning of the Nickel Rim South and Fraser mines and the rapid ramp-up of the Falcondo ferronickel operation
• Mined zinc in concentrate volumes rose by 3% from the Mount Isa Mines and McArthur River operations, despite the impact of flooding in the first quarter, while overall zinc volumes were impacted by planned lower zinc production at Antamina
• A 6% improvement in second quarter mined copper production compared to the first quarter offset the impact of adverse weather in Australia, Chile and Peru on first half production
• The greenfield, 10.5 million ROM tonnes per annum AUD1.1 billion ($1 billion) Mangoola thermal coal mine in New South Wales, Australia successfully commenced operations in February, ahead of schedule and under budget
• In June, the first shipment of iron ore concentrate left Xstrata Copper’s newly commissioned magnetite plant, part of the AUD589 million ($542 million) transformation of Ernest Henry into a major underground copper-gold operation
• Significant increases in mineral resource estimates were announced at the Antamina copper and zinc mine in Peru and the Frieda River copper project in Papua New Guinea