Tuesday, April 13, 2010

AUSTRALIAN URANIUM MINER ENERGY RESOURCES HIT BY LOWER PRODUCTION


ENERGY Resources of Australia says softer market conditions are taking their toll and will influence average sale prices expected during the first half of 2010.

The Darwin-based miner had previously given guidance that average realised sales prices in 2010 were expected to be similar to 2009, but said today that softer market conditions now looked set to have an influence on prices in the first half.

ERA produces about 10 per cent of the world's uranium from its Ranger mine in the Northern Territory.

The miner also said production fell sharply in the first quarter of 2010, after lower grades and weather impacts took their toll. First quarter uranium output was down 27 per cent on year to 888 tonnes.

The Rio Tinto subsidiary said in a statement that average ore grades processed during the quarter of 0.17 per cent uranium were down 41 per cent on the previous corresponding period.

Material mined also fell 60 per cent on year and ERA said this was mainly due to precautionary work on an area of instability on the south wall of the Ranger open pit and seasonal weather impacts.

ERA had previously indicated it was expecting to experience lower grades in the first half of 2010 and the miner said it expects second quarter output to be in line with the first quarter.

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