OREANDA-NEWS. May 20, 2010. Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant (LSE, RTS, MICEX: CHZN), Russia’s largest producer of zinc and zinc alloys, is pleased to announce its production results for the three months of 2010.

January through March 2010, Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant (CZP) produced 38,570 tonnes of salable SHG zinc and zinc based alloys, an increase of 58.5 % as compared to the same period of 2009 (24,327 tonnes) and an increase of 5.1 % as compared to the 4Q2009 (36,709 tones). 44 % of metal was supplied to the domestic market.

CZP’s subsidiary, Nova Zinc LLC, operator of Akzhal zinc and lead ore mine in Kazakhstan, processed 301.3 thousand tones of ore in January - March of 2010, 5.7 % more than for the same period of 2009 (285.1 thousand tonnes).

Production of zinc in zinc concentrate for the three months of 2010 decreased by 11.1 % to 7,218 tonnes over the prior year result of the same period of 8,119 tonnes. Lead in lead concentrate production decreased by 18,5 % to 1,028 tonnes (vs. 1,262 in 1Q2009). Average zinc content in the ore for the period was 2.72 % with average lead content of 0.43 %, compared to 3.11 % and 0.54 % respectively a year ago.

CZP’s subsidiary, The Brock Metal Company Limited (the leading UK supplier of zinc die-casting alloys) sold 7,388 tonnes of products January through March 2010, 45.7 % more than for the same period of 2009 (4,859 tonnes).