Kazakhstan lowers copper,alumina output in Jan-May

　　Kazakhstan's refined copper output declined by 0.7 percent year on year in January-May, while alumina production fell by 13.8 percent in the same period, data released on Wednesday by the State Statistics Agency showed.

　　Refined copper production in January-May was 137,011 tonnes.

　　Refined zinc output totalled 132,395 tonnes, rising by 0.3 percent over the first five months of 2011.

　　Production of alumina and unwrought aluminium in January-May stood at 673,308 tonnes, and bauxite production fell by 6.3 percent year on year to 2.09 million tonnes in the first five months of 2012.

　　Refined lead production decreased by 21.1 percent and crude steel output shrank by 20.5 percent in the same comparison. Gold and silver production increased sharply in January-April, while output of ferro-alloys decreased slightly.

　　London-listed miners Kazakhmys and ENRC, as well as Glencore-controlled Kazzinc, account for a large part of Kazakhstan's metals output. ArcelorMittal owns the country's only major steel plant.

　　The State Statistics Agency provided the following data for Kazakhstan's non-ferrous, steel and precious metals output in its latest monthly bulletin:

　　May '12   April '12  Jan-May '12

　　REFINED COPPER (tonnes)  29,459      24,617      137,011

　　mth/mth pct change       +19.7        -7.7            -

　　yr/yr pct change          +0.4       -12.0         -0.7

　　REFINED ZINC (T)         27,193      25,913      132,395

　　mth/mth pct change        +4.9        -4.1            -

　　yr/yr pct change          -0.4        -0.6         +0.3

　　ZINC CONCENTRATE (T)     32,700      33,100      151,200

　　mth/mth pct change        -1.2       +15.7            -

　　yr/yr pct change          +0.9        +4.4         -0.3

　　ALUMINA AND UNWROUGHT

　　ALUMINIUM (T)          149,251     131,651      673,308

　　mth/mth pct change       +13.4        +2.6            -

　　yr/yr pct change          -6.9       -15.2        -13.8

　　BAUXITE (T)             465,300     370,100    2,093,700

　　mth/mth pct change       +25.7        -2.6            -

　　yr/yr pct change          +1.6       -16.5         -6.3

　　FERRO-ALLOYS (T)        145,191     136,950      704,347

　　mth/mth pct change        +6.0        -5.8            -

　　yr/yr pct change          -2.1        -1.5         -0.3

　　CRUDE STEEL (T)         287,751     378,430    1,645,233

　　mth/mth pct change       -24.0        +1.1            -

　　yr/yr pct change         -33.3        -6.6        -20.5

　　LEAD CONCENTRATE (T)      2,800       3,100       15,000

　　mth/mth pct change        -9.7        +6.9            -

　　yr/yr pct change           0.0        -6.1         -8.0

　　REFINED LEAD (T)          8,206       7,961       38,433

　　mth/mth pct change        +3.1        +4.6            -

　　yr/yr pct change         -20.5       -16.7        -21.1

　　REFINED GOLD (kg)         1,642       1,902        8,415

　　mth/mth pct change       -13.7        +6.4            -

　　yr/yr pct change          -6.9       +10.5        +22.9

　　REFINED SILVER (kg)      75,702      87,126      381,812

　　mth/mth pct change       -13.1        -0.9            -

　　yr/yr pct change         +26.1       +21.9        +50.7