Australia-based Rio Tinto, the world's second biggest iron ore producer, has announced that in the fourth quarter of last year iron ore production from its Pilbara operations in Western Australia decreased by one percent year on year to 86.6 million mt. In the given quarter, the company's iron ore shipments from its Pilbara operations amounted to 87.4 million mt, falling by three percent from the same quarter of the previous year.
In 2018, Rio Tinto produced 337.8 million mt from its Pilbara operations, rising by two percent, while its iron ore shipments increased by two percent to 338.2 million mt, both year on year.
Rio Tinto expects its Pilbara iron ore shipments in 2019 to be between 338 million mt and 350 million mt.
Meanwhile, Rio Tinto did not produce any Australian hard coking coal in the fourth quarter. In the full year, on the other hand, Rio Tinto’s hard coking coal production amounted to 3.99 million mt, down 48.2 percent year on year.