Kazzink's main produce up to 276,790 in 2003

/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]