Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant in Russia produced 125,609 mt of zinc and other zinc alloys during the first nine months of 2013, up 3.5% over the same period one year ago. The Russian producer noted that 65.9% of output went to domestic consumers - no change over last year. The company’s affiliate, Nova Zinc, produced 25,403 mt of zinc in concentrate over the first nine months of 2013 from the company’s Akzhal Mine in Kazakhstan. Lead in concentrate output was 3,543 mt, up 21% over the same period last year. Brock Metal Company Limited, which is a subsidiary of Chelyabinsk, sold 18,709 mt of zinc alloys in the first nine months of 2013. The figure represents a 6% decrease when compared to the same period one year ago, when output was 19,883 mt.

Blackthorn and Glencore shipped 12,175 mt of zinc concentrate from the Perkoa project in Burkina Faso. The shipment is the company’s first from the African project. The companies expect annual production to reach 1-million mt per year once the ball plant installation has been complete. For 2013, the International Lead and Zinc Study Group reported an anticipated 120,000 mt surplus of zinc in 2013, and a 115,000 mt surplus in 2014. The highest growth in consumption, however, will be Asian markets, specifically in China.