Talison Q2 lithium sales up 54% y-on-y
2011-01-13 09:13:16 【Print】
Talison Lithium, the biggest pure lithium producer, increased sales in the three months ended December (the company's second quarter) to 97,559t of lithium concentrate, 54% higher than in the same period a year earlier.
TSX-listed Talison produces chemical- and technical-grade lithium concentrates from its hard-rock lithium mining operations near the town of Greenbushes, about 250 km south of Perth.
Both production and sales rose to company records in the December quarter, the firm said in a report on Wednesday.
Demand from customers remained strong, and the firm started commissioning an expansion at Greenbushes in December, earlier than it had previously expected.
“Talison continues to produce at capacity and sell 100% of its production,” the company added.
Production during the second quarter increased 40% compared with the three months ended December 2009, to 832,558t of lithium concentrate, or around 12,400t of lithium-carbonate equivalent.
Talison said it expects output will continue to rise in the March quarter, as the operations benefit from the now-completed stage-one expansion at Greenbushes.
The company confirmed that it produced and sold a parcel of 12,206t of crushed ore to a key customer, as a short-term measure to meed demand until the expansion was completed.
Lithium is used in the batteries of electric-powered vehicles and lithium-ion batteries also power a wide range of other products, including mobile phones and laptop computers.
Talison sells its production to customers in China.
EXPANSION
The company said on Wednesday that it continues to work on plans for a stage-two expansion at Greenbushes.
Detailed design work is progressing and the firm has ordered long-lead-time items to make sure that work on the project can start before the end of the calendar year.
The company is also preparing to begin drilling at the Salares 7 brines project in Chile, which Talison acquired last year when it bought Canadian junior Salares Lithium.
The Salares 7 camp is now fully operational and the first drilling program is expected to commence in early February 2011.
Talison said its operations and shipments have not been affected by the flooding in Western Australia.
