
Global miner Rio Tinto today announced production results for the first quarter of 2018. The company’s bauxite production in Q1 2018 was 12 per cent higher than the corresponding quarter of 2017, due to continued operational improvements. Rio Tinto produced 12.7 million tonnes of bauxite in the first quarter of 2018.

The third party shipments of 8.2 million tonnes were achieved, 19 per cent higher than the first quarter of 2017 due to firm demand and higher port availability.
"Gove production was notably 31 per cent higher due to the debottlenecking of the materials handling system, whilst stronger production was also achieved at Weipa (eight per cent higher) and Sangaredi (five per cent higher). Production was lower than the fourth quarter of 2017 due to seasonal wet weather,” according to the company.
Rio Tinto said that its Amrun bauxite project is advancing to plan and has completed the installation of beneficiation modules and the process water dam. The project remains on schedule for first shipment in the first half of 2019.
Rio Tinto’s share of production in 2018 is expected to be between 49 and 51 million tonnes of bauxite and 8.0 to 8.2 million tonnes of alumina.
Separately, Alumina production for the quarter was three per cent lower than the corresponding period in 2017 due primarily to maintenance at QAL. Alumina production stood at 1.9 million tonnes.
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