OREANDA-NEWS. Vale delivered a strong operational performance in 4Q15 and in 2015, with annual and quarterly production records in iron ore, pellets, nickel, copper, cobalt and gold.

Ferrous Minerals

Iron ore

Annual supply record of 345.9 Mt in 2015.

Annual production record in Carajás of 129.6 Mt in 2015, 9.9 Mt higher than in 2014.

Annual shipments of 303.6 Mt in 2015, 18.9 Mt higher than in 2014.

Quarterly production record in Carajás of 36.5 Mt, 2.6 Mt higher than in 3Q15 and 1.7 Mt higher than in 4Q14.

Quarterly production at the N4WS and N5S extension mines in Carajás of 22.8 Mt in 4Q15, 4.9 Mt higher than in 3Q15.

Pellets

Annual production record, excluding Samarco´s output, of 46.2 Mt in 2015, 3.2 Mt higher than in 2014.

Annual production record in Vargem Grande of 6.4 Mt in 2015, 0.6 Mt higher than in 2014, as well as annual production record in Tubarão VIII of 6.6 Mt in 2015.

Base Metals

Nickel

Annual production record of 291,000 t, 16,000 t higher than in 2014.

Annual production record at VNC of 30,800 t in 2015, 12,000 t higher than in 2014, with higher production share of Nickel Oxide (NiO) vs. Nickel Hydroxide Cake (NHC).

Annual production record from Onça Puma of 24,000 t in 2015, 3,000 t higher than in 2014.

Annual production record from PT Vale Indonesia Tbk of 81,200 t of nickel in matte, 3,200 t higher than in 2014.

Quarterly overall production record of 82,700 t, 11,100 t higher than in 3Q15 and 9,100 t higher than in 4Q14.

Quarterly production record at VNC of 9,600 t, 1,500 t higher than in 3Q15 and 2,900 t higher than in 4Q14.

Copper

Annual production[3] record of 423,800 t in 2015, 44,100 t higher than in 2014.

Annual production record at Salobo of 155,000 t in 2015, 57,000 t higher than in 2014.

Quarterly overall production3 record of 112,500 t, 13,200 t higher than in 3Q15 and 7,800 t higher than in 4Q14.

Quarterly production record at Salobo of 42,000 t, 1,100 t higher than in 3Q15 and 10,400 t higher than in 4Q14.

Cobalt

Annual production record of 4,533 t in 2015, 790 t higher than in 2014, driven by the increase in VNC production.

Quarterly production record of 1,271 t, 100 t higher than in 3Q15, driven by an increase in Sudbury production and by the quarterly production record at VNC.

Gold

Annual production record of 420,000 oz in 2015, 99,000 oz higher than in 2014.

Quarterly production record of 117,000 oz, 17,000 oz higher than in 3Q15 and 23,000 oz higher than in 4Q14.

Coal

Annual production of 7.3 Mt in 2015, 1.3 Mt lower than in 2014, due to the stoppage of the Integra Coal and the Isaac Plains mines, which were placed in care and maintenance in 2Q14 and 3Q14 respectively.

Annual production at Moatize of 4.9 Mt in 2015, in line with 2014, but with a better product mix (metallurgical coal production increased by 8.9%, while thermal coal production decreased by 12.6%).

Annual production at Carborough Downs of 2.4 Mt in 2015, 0.5 Mt higher than in 2014.

Quarterly overall production of 1.6 Mt, 0.5 Mt lower than in 3Q15, negatively impacted by a long wall move in Carborough Downs and by a stoppage for adjustments at the coal-handling and processing plant (CHPP) in Moatize.

Fertilizers

Annual production record at Bayóvar of 3.9 Mt in 2015, 0.1 Mt higher than in 2014.