/REUTERS, Almaty, Tatyana Seroshtanova, April 1, 04/ - Kazzink OJSC, largest zinc producer in Kazakhstan, boosted its output in 2003 to 276,790 tones from previous year's 266,866 tones, the company said in a statement posted on its official web site www.kazzinc.kz.

The Company produces refined copper, lead, gold and silver as well.

The announcement also states that in 2003 production of refined copper, gold and silver went up, whereas lead production declined. Company's representative provided no comments on facts.

Output dynamics 2003-1996:

-----------------------------------------------
        zinc,   lead, copper   gold,   серебро,
years   tones   tones  tones  tr. oz     tr. oz
----- ------- ------- ------ ------- ----------
2003  276,790  88,329 70,696 204,327  6,278,399
2002  266,886 101,104 65,136 183,324  5,644,423
2001  259,285 107,078 59,266 199,900  9,174,478
2000  245,175 133,340 38,724 201,419 11,007,281
1999  229,590 112,045 30,721 173,062  7,388,325
1998  222,344  80,548 30,811 161,857  5,417,789
1997  173,192  71,589 29,637 151,136  2,777,916
1996  155,398  54,802 22,773  75,559  1,109,138
-----------------------------------------------

Kazzinc was established in 1997 after triple merge of leading metal producers in Eastern Kazakhstan: Ust-Kamenogorsk lead-zink palnt, Leninogorsk metal plant and Zyryanovsk lead plant.

Kazzinc does not disclose its ownership structure, though claims that Switzerland based mining and agricultural Glencore International AG possess the largest stake in the company.

[2004-04-01]