28th Oct 2025 08:25
(Alliance News) - Anglo American PLC on Tuesday described production performance for its copper and iron ore operations as "another solid" quarter.
The London-based miner reported copper production of 526,000 tonnes for the nine months to September 30, down 8.5% from 575,000 tonnes a year earlier. For the third quarter, copper output was up 1.7% to 184,000 tonnes from 181,000 in the same quarter last year and up 10% from 173,300 tonnes in the second quarter to June 30 this year.
Iron ore production fell 1.7% to 45.7 million tonnes in the nine months from 46.5 million a year before. Output was down 8.9% for the third quarter alone to 14.3 million tonnes from 15.7 million a year before and down 10% from 15.9 million tonnes in the second quarter.
In a separate filing, Kumba Iron Ore Ltd on Tuesday said iron ore production fell 1.4% to 27.5 million tonnes for the nine months to September 30 from 27.9 million tonnes a year earlier. For the third quarter alone, output was 9.2 million tonnes, down 2.1% from 9.4 million in the same quarter last year and down 1.1% from 9.3 million tonnes in the second quarter this year.
Looking ahead, Kumba expects annual iron ore production to range between 35 million and 37 million tonnes in 2025, flat to up from 35.7 million tonnes in 2024.
Anglo American said manganese ore production for the nine months rose 34% to 2.1 million tonnes from 1.5 million a year before. Production for the third quarter alone more than doubled to 973,000 tonnes from 406,000 in the third quarter last year and was up 30% from 745,600 tonnes in the second quarter.
Among businesses Anglo America plans to exit, diamonds production fell 5.3% to 17.9 million carats for nine months from 18.9 million carats a year before. But third-quarter diamond output was up 38% to 7.7 million carats from 5.6 million a year before and up 85% from 4.1 million in the second quarter.
Steelmaking coal production for the nine months halved to 6.2 million tonnes from 12.1 million tonnes. In the third quarter alone, steelmaking coal output fell 54% to 1.9 million tonnes from 4.1 million a year before and was down 7.9% from 2.1 million tonnes in the second quarter.
Nickel production was flat at 29,400 tonnes for the nine months. For the third quarter, nickel output was up 2% to 10,100 tonnes from 9,900 in the third quarter last year and up 31% from 7,700 tonnes in the second quarter.
"We've delivered another solid quarter in copper and iron ore, tracking to our plans and we are well positioned to meet 2025 guidance, with the full year outlook increased at our Minas-Rio iron ore operation in Brazil," Anglo American Chief Executive Officer Duncan Wanblad said.
Looking ahead, Anglo American kept its copper production within a range of between 690,000 tonnes and 750,000 tonnes in 2025, down from 773,000 in 2024.
But the miner revised up iron ore production guidance, including Kumba's contribution, to between 58 million and 62 million tonnes from between 57 million and 61 million predicted previously. In 2024, output was 60.8 million tonnes.
Shares in Anglo American were down 0.6% to ZAR646.77 in Johannesburg. They were down 0.4% to 2,821.83 pence in London.
By Artwell Dlamini, Alliance News senior reporter South Africa
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