Venezuela's Bauxilum alumina sales down 6.8% to 104,277 mt for March

Venezuela's CVG-Bauxilum alumina sales rose 6.8% to 104,277 mt in March, down from 111,831 mt in March 2010, Bauxilum said Wednesday.

March alumina sales were up 4.7%, however, from sales of 99,607 mt in February 2011. Of March alumina sales, 58,024 mt were domestic sales and 46,253 mt were export sales.

The March alumina export sales were to Swiss-based trader Glencore International AG, a Bauxilum official who asked not to be named said.

Bauxite sales from Bauxilum's Pijiguaos mine totaled 1,148 mt in March, up 5.03% from sales of 1,093 mt in March 2010. March bauxite sales were down 18.5%, however, from sales of 1,409 mt in February 2011. All March bauxite sales were to Ferralca, a downstream aluminum company.

CVG-Bauxilum has alumina installed capacity of approximately 2 million mt/year, and its bauxite capacity is between 5.5 million and 5.8 million mt/year. Bauxilum forms part of the Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana's 640,000 mt/year primary aluminum complex in Puerto Ordaz, Bolivar state.