Reuters reported that Cuba's unrefined nickel plus cobalt production weighed in at 70,100 tonnes in 2009, down slightly from the 70,400 tonnes reported in 2008. Holguin province's television Cristal reported the production as part of a program on the area's economic performance last year. The country's three processing plants are located in Holguin.

A government report said that "The industry did not meet its plan for the year, as the only plant that was able to reach its goal was the Pedro Sotto Alba."

The provincial state run newspaper Ahora, reported this week that output at the Pedro Soto Alba plant, a JV with Canadian mining company Sherritt International's, was more than 2000 tonnes above 2008, a record.

Last year Sherritt International reported 2008 output at the plant was 34,673 tonnes of unrefined nickel plus cobalt. There was no further information on output at the two other plants in the area which are fully owned and operated by state monopoly Cubaniquel.

Earlier this year Holguin media said that the year's plan was around 70,000 tonnes and that due to hurricane damage the state run Ernesto Che Guevara plant, with a capacity of 32,000 tonnes, would produce around 26,000 tonnes.

Cuban nickel is considered to be Class II, with an average 90% nickel content. Cuba's National Minerals Resource Center reported that eastern Holguin province accounted for more than 30% of the world's known nickel reserves, with lesser reserves in other parts of the country.

(Sourced from www.reuters.com)