Vedanta Resources’s Konkola reports lower copper output for the year

London-listed Vedanta Resources has delivered 19% lower fourth-quarter copper output from its Zambia operations on the back of lower ore production at its Konkola and Nchanga underground mines.

The group’s mined metal for the three months to March reached 27 000 t, compared with the 33 000 t reported in the corresponding quarter the year before.

The company explained on Thursday that production at Konkola was affected by unscheduled stoppages at Shaft 1 and 4, with the mid-shaft level of Shaft 4 resuming operations during the quarter and Shaft 1 becoming operational in the first week of April.

The full-year mined metal production, at 128 000 t, was lower than the 159 000 t recorded last year, owing to the suspension of mining operations at the Chingola openpit since January 2013.

“We are focused on increasing volumes at the Konkola mine, with recent progress made towards augmenting talent in the underground mining team and implementing productivity improvement measures,” Vedanta said in a statement.