Metal production jumps 30% to 99.33 B in 2013

MANILA, Philippines - Metal production in 2013 rose slightly in terms of value on improved production of gold and copper concentrate, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) reported yesterday.

Aggregate metal production value rose to P99.33 billion in 2013, up by 30 percent from P99.04 billion in 2012.

Making up 32. 66 percent of metal output last year, aggregate gold production of 17,248 kilograms rose by 18 percent from 14, 596 kilograms produced in 2012. The total value of production fell by a percent last year to P32 .44 billion on lower metal prices that prevailed last year.

Increased gold production last year was attributed to the entry to the production stream last year of the Didipio copper-gold project of Oceanagold Philippines  Inc. in Nueva Ecija, the first project to operate in the country under Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA).

The return to the production stream of the Teresa Gold Project of Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corp. also boosted gold production.

Production of copper concentrate, which made up 22.51 percent of total metal output last year, also rose significantly in terms of quantity and value. Production last year rose 40 percent to 376, 106 dry metric tons (DMT) from 268, 046 DMT in 2012. The value of production rose 44 percent to P22.36 billion from P15.55 billion.

Production of nickel direct shipping ore (DSO) and sulfides also rose year-on-year in terms of volume after the new Hydrometallurgical Processing Plant of Taganito Mining Corp. was commissioned in October 2013.

Production of nickel sulfides rose by to 45, 624 dry metric tons (DMT) in 2013 from 41, 383 DTM in 2012. The aggregate value of production rose by three percent to P11. 47 billion last year from P11.16 billion in 2012.

The volume of nickel DSO produced last year rose one percent to 25.49 million DMT from 25.13 DMT in 2012. The aggregate value of production fell 15 percent to P29.57 billion from P34.87 billion.