DMCI Mining shipments up in first half

DMCI Mining Corp. said nickel shipments went up by 88% in the first half of 2018, but expects no shipments to be made in the second semester due to the shutdown of its Zambales operations as well as the depletion of its stockpile in Palawan.
The Consunji-led miner said in a statement that it shipped 482,762 wet metric tons (WMT) of nickel from January to June, higher than the 257,120 WMT it shipped in the same period a year ago.
The average selling price per metric ton of nickel stood at $39, 10% higher than its price of $35 in the same period a year ago. Average nickel grade also improved by 11% to 1.73%. In the second quarter alone, average nickel grade rose by eight percent to 1.75%.
“We had a really good first semester. Our subsidiaries were able to ship more high-grade nickel ore at a higher selling price,” DMCI Mining President Cesar F. Simbulan, Jr. was quoted as saying in a statement. — Arra B. Francia