Nyrstar produced 1.019 million mt of zinc metal from its processing operations in 2017, up 

marginally from 1.015 million mt in 2016 and in line with the lower end of its full-year 2017 

guidance of 1.0 million to 1.1 million mt, the Belgium-based producer said Thursday. 

"Flat  zinc  metal production year-over-year was due to the planned maintenance shuts at 

Balen and Budel in Q2, 2017 which negatively impacted production by approximately 11,00

0 mt and 6,500 mt of zinc metal respectively; the planned maintenance shuts at Hobart and 

Clarksville in Q3, 2017; unplanned outages experienced in Budel in Q3 2017; and unplanne

d outages at Hobart in Q4 2017," the company said in its annual results statement. 

Zinc metal production at the Auby smelter in France was up 11% in 2017 compared to 2016 

as  a  result  of  a planned cellhouse maintenance shutdown in Q1, 2016; the Balen plant in 

Belgium  was  up  6%  despite  a  planned  21-day  cellhouse  shutdown in May 2017 which 

improved  production  rates;  and  Clarksville in the US was up 6% primarily due to a higher 

proportion of feed being sourced from Nyrstar's East Tennessee mines unit. 

Lead metal output at the Port Pirie operation in Australia was down 8% on the year at 171,0

00 mt "due to two unplanned blast furnace stops to repair damaged water cooled jackets, he

at exchanger failures in the old acid plant and operational issues in the sinter plant that have 

negatively affected sinter quality," the company said. 

These issues were largely resolved in Q3, 2017, Nyrstar said.