Glencore, the Swiss-based mining and commodities trading group, said third-quarter production was in line with expectations and left its full-year guidance unchanged.
It also expects 2026 marketing-adjusted EBIT, a measure of profit from its trading arm, to exceed $5 billion.
Copper output from its own mines was 201,600 tonnes in the quarter, up 2% on the second quarter.
Year to date, copper production of 598,600 tonnes was 3% higher than a year earlier, or 12% higher once the closed Mount Isa mine and the sold Kidd mine are stripped out.
Gary Nagle, chief executive, said steelmaking coal and energy coal volumes rose notably on the previous quarter.
Steelmaking coal output was 8.0 million tonnes, up 14%, while energy coal rose 8% to 26.5 million tonnes.
Ferrochrome restart
Glencore has progressively restarted its ferrochrome smelters, used to make stainless steel, with Boshoek back in September and Wonderkop in October, following Lion earlier in the year.
Attributable ferrochrome production rose 29% on the previous quarter as a result.
Cobalt and zinc fall
Cobalt output of 13,700 tonnes for the nine months was 52% lower than a year ago, reflecting export quotas imposed by the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Zinc production fell 23% to 547,200 tonnes, mainly because the Lady Loretta mine reached the end of its life and Antamina in Peru is moving to higher copper and lower zinc ore.
Guidance
Glencore expects zinc and energy coal towards the upper end of their ranges, copper and steelmaking coal towards the lower end, and nickel around the middle.
Copper guidance is 810,000 to 870,000 tonnes, and it expects a stronger fourth quarter driven by higher grades at Collahuasi.
