BHP reports record alumina production in year to June

BHP Billiton reported record production and sales of alumina during the financial year ending 2007. Group attributable production from its three refineries—the 86% owned Worsley plant in Australia, the 45% owned Paranam refinery in Suriname and the 36%-owned Alumar plant in Brazil—totalled 4.460 million tonnes, up from 4.187 million in the year-earlier period. The company attributed the performance to “the continuing ramp up of the Worsley expansion and strong performance at Paranam and Alumar.” Worsley has just been expanded from 3.25 million tpy to 3.5 million tpy. Production in the second quarter of this year was above new nameplate capacity, the company noted.