Bloomberg reported that PT Timah production of tin could decline for the fourth consecutive year in 2011 as bad weather disrupts the world’s largest tin supplier mining activities.

Mr Abrun Abubakar Corporate Secretary said refined tin output may reach 37,000 tonnes to 40,000 tonnes this year, compared with 40,000 tonnes in 2010. Output was 45,086 tons in 2009, 49,029 in 2008 and 58,325 tons in 2007.

He said that “We remain conservative in setting our production target for this year, because everything will depend on the weather conditions. We don’t know for sure how extreme the weather will be.”

Mr Abubakar said Timah expects 2010 net income to have more than doubled because of higher prices of the metal even after a decline in output and sales. Profit in 2009 fell by 77% to IDR 313.75 billion. Tin prices on the London Metal Exchange surged almost 59% last year. He didn’t give forecasts for sales or profit for 2011.

(Sourced from Bloomberg)