Mining output slips

Cape Town - Mining production decreased by 0.4% year-on-year in November 2014, Stats SA said in a statement after releasing its mining results for production and sales.

The largest negative growth rates were recorded for (platinum-group metals) PGMs (-14.3%), diamonds (-14.2%), gold (-10.1%) and copper (-10.1%), Stats SA statistician-general Pali Lehohla said.

The main contributors to the 0.4% decrease were PGMs (contributing -3.3 percentage points), gold (contributing -1.6 percentage points) and coal (contributing -1.0 percentage points. Iron ore was a significant positive contributor (contributing 3.5 percentage points).
 
Seasonally adjusted mining production decreased by 1.2% in November 2014 compared with October 2014. This followed month-on-month changes of 0.6% in October 2014 and 7.3% in September 2014.

Seasonally adjusted mining production increased by 6.2% in the three months ended November 2014 compared with the previous three months. The main contributor to the 6.2% increase was PGMs (contributing 4.7 percentage points)”

Mineral sales decreased by 3.2% year-on-year in October 2014. The largest negative growth rates were recorded for iron ore (-14.8%), copper (-13.5%) and coal (-10.9%). The major contributors to the 3.2% decrease were:

- coal (contributing -3.2 percentage points);
- iron ore (contributing -2.4 percentage points);
- PGMs (contributing -1.6 percentage points); and
- gold (contributing -1.0 percentage point)

Seasonally adjusted mineral sales at current prices were flat in October 2014 compared with September 2014. This followed month-on-month changes of 5.7% in September 2014 and -0.4% in August 2014.