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JAKARTA – Nickel output at PT Vale Indonesia is expected to increase 10% to about 78 000 t this year, the company said on Tuesday, on the back of strong first-quarter results.
Vale's nickel matt output rose in the first quarter to 18 514 t, 49% higher than production of 12,431 tonnes a year ago.
"Considering this, the management of PT Vale remains confident that the company can deliver the 10 percent increase over the 2012 production targeted for 2013," Vale said in an emailed statement.
First-quarter production was 13% below what the company achieved in the previous three months, held back by a maintenance shutdown of its furnaces, it said.
In 2012, Vale produced 70 717 t of nickel matte in Indonesia.
The company owns mines and smelting facilities in South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi and Central Sulawesi provinces, areas known for their large reserves of nickel laterite ore.
The firm was formerly known as PT International Nickel Indonesia (Inco) and is 60% owned by Brazil's Vale.