India's October aluminium, copper, zinc output up on year

New Delhi (Platts)--28 Nov，2008 India's October aluminium output totaled 108,056 mt, compared with105,495 mt in September and 105,006 mt a year earlier, latest production data from the mines ministry showed. Aluminum production over April-October, the first seven months of the current fiscal year, totaled 739,957 mt, compared with 717,222 mt a year earlier. India's major aluminum production companies are National Aluminium Co., Bharat Aluminium Co., Hindalco Industries and Madras Aluminium Co. Over April-October, Nalco produced 206,663 mt aluminium compared with 208,847 mt in 2007, Balco 211,457 mt compared with 210,953 mt, Hindalco output 300,000 mt against 275,505 mt a year ago, and Malco 21,837 mt, up from 21,917 mt in 2007. India's copper output in October totaled 62,755 mt, compared with 54,447 mt in September and 57,398 mt a year earlier. Copper metal output over April-October was 365,224 mt, compared with 405,101 mt a year earlier. The country's copper majors are state-run Hindustan Copper Ltd., Hindalco Industries and Sterlite Industries. Over April-October, HCL produced 19,010 mt copper compared with 24,094 mt a year ago, Hindalco 165,526 mt compared with 182,848 mt, and Sterlite output 180,688 mt, up from 198,159 mt in 2007. India's zinc output in October totaled 52,102 mt, compared with 45,983 mt in September and 34,230 mt a year ago. Zinc output over April-October totaled 315,337 mt, compared with 236,923 mt a year before. India's main zinc producer is Hindustan Zinc Ltd. produced 299,509 mt zinc over April-October, compared with 218,225 mt a year ago. The other zinc producer Binani Industries Ltd., however, output 15,828 mt, down from 18,698 mt in 2007. Lead output in the country in October totaled 4,208 mt, up from 2,687 mt in September, but down from 5,314 mt a year earlier. The mines ministry data gave no reason for the steep rise in monthly output. Lead production over April-October totaled 34,036 mt, compared with 32,046 mt a year earlier. The entire lead output was from Hindustan Zinc Ltd., a part of the UK-based Vedanta Resources. The country's gold output totaled 0.58 mt in October, compared with 0.54 mt in September. Output over April-October totaled 4.84 mt, down from 8 mt a year earlier. India's Hutti Gold Mines Ltd. produces gold from ore mined in southern India, while Hindustan Copper Ltd. and Hindalco Industries produces gold as a by-product, while processing copper concentrate for copper cathode. Hutti output 1.58 mt gold over April-October compared with 1.75 mt and Hindalco 3.26 mt, down from 6.25 mt. HCL reported no gold output during fiscal 2008-2009. Gold output in fiscal 2007-2008 was 11.94 mt. India is the world's largest gold importer, importing roughly 600 mt/year.