Business Overview & Strategy | Commodity Business Strategies

Xstrata Alloys
  • Eliminate fatalities and achieve a step-change in safety performance through visible leadership, intensive training and knowledge-sharing
  • Maintain our market leadership position in ferrochrome by leveraging our unique scale, position in South Africa, access to raw materials and expertise across a wide range of technologies
  • Enhance our competitive cost position, particularly through our Premus Technology and initiatives to minimise dependency on high-cost inputs, such as coke, logistics and power
  • Use our capabilities and technologies to build a diversified production base and pursue growth into other ferro-alloys or related industries to increase critical mass
  • Continue to position Xstrata Alloys as the preferred supplier to the most attractive global customers
  • Continue the progress made in the Xstrata-Merafe Chrome, Bakwena Vanadium and Kagiso Platinum ventures towards full compliance with the spirit of the SA Mining Charter
  • Position the vanadium division to benefit from price spikes, ensure resilience in downturns and leverage the technical flexibility of Rhovan to develop high-value vanadium alloy products for specific international markets
Xstrata Aluminum
  • Build on our success to date in improving safety performance at every operation
  • Achieve incremental growth throughout the integrated production chain, with a specific focus on identified brownfield expansion opportunities at St Ann, Gramercy, New Madrid, Huntingdon and Salisbury
  • Improve the cost position of our operations through ongoing energy efficiency and other initiatives
  • Leverage our operational excellence to maximise returns on invested capital, through mine optimisation and ongoing capital efficiencies
  • Create value by leveraging our leadership position in rolled products, maximising both volumes and margins
Xstrata Coal
  • Create a fatality and serious injury free workplace which operates beyond compliance of our Health Safety Environment and Community (HSEC) obligations
  • Continue to commit financially to the development, testing and implementation of clean coal and low emission technologies
  • Maintain our position as the leading exporter of coal, expanding our business by continuing to pursue value-adding external growth opportunities
  • Generate and develop incremental growth options to deliver high return growth from the existing portfolio
  • Ensure we are well positioned to capture the opportunities presented by the growing US market by the timely expansion of our Colombian investments
  • Create value for ourselves and our customers and be recognised for consistent, reliable supply across all markets
  • Maximise returns on invested capital through operational excellence, mine optimisation and capital efficiency
  • Maintain a high performance team and be the employer of choice in the sector
Xstrata Copper
  • Consolidate and build on the dramatic improvements in safety performances across the businesses with the strategic objective of achieving injury-free, safe work environments
  • Effectively implement environmental management systems and practices that will demonstrate industry leadership in environmental performance
  • Maximise the net present value of existing operations through ongoing capital and operating efficiencies, ongoing grade profile optimisation and extensions to mine lives
  • Create and consolidate regional leverage through effective exploration, project development and business joint ventures in regions where Xstrata Copper already has an operating presence and/or infrastructure
  • Capitalise on Xstrata Copper’s industry-leading greenfield project pipeline by advancing activities and decision points on these development projects
  • Implement disciplined cost management programmes to ensure cost competitiveness throughout the commodity cycles
  • Attract and retain quality people and, through the implementation of a comprehensive human resources strategy, realise the full potential of our people
  • Develop and retain a strong reputation for social responsibility in the broader community
Xstrata Nickel
  • Maintain an uncompromising focus on health, safety, the environment, and socially responsible practices
  • Build and sustain mutually beneficial relationships with our fellow employees, communities, governments and other stakeholders
  • Promote an entrepreneurial environment where all employees are accountable for their actions and empowered to identify and pursue the creation of value
  • Continually grow and improve the quality and value of existing assets and leverage the technological excellence of our operations, our industry-leading exploration capabilities and project management skills
  • Actively pursue external and organic growth initiatives, including the development of Xstrata Nickel’s attractive portfolio of projects into world-class assets
Xstrata Zinc
  • Continue efforts in further improving our high standards in health, safety, environment and community relations
  • Continue driving Xstrata Zinc’s strategy through our strengths in:
    • Focusing on cost control at all operations
    • Leveraging technology and management skills to improve existing operations, achieving world-class efficiency
    • Transforming acquired operations through cost cutting, efficiency and productivity improvements
    • Developing internal growth projects with moderate capital cost and high returns
  • Leverage improved operational, capital and safety performance by exchange of best practice and knowledge across our global zinc business
  • Improve our vertical integration further by exploiting the significant growth potential inherent in the long-life resources of our Australian operations and opportunities in Canada, complementing this through opportunistic value-enhancing acquisitions
  • Develop opportunities to use Xstrata’s Albion process technology to develop a low cost zinc production from the extensive MRM resource
Xstrata Technology
  • Continually improve Xstrata's select portfolio of innovative processing technologies
  • Market these technologies globally to improve the efficiency and environmental performance of the minerals processing industry
  • Work with both internal and external users to develop and interchange efficiency improvements for the benefit of all users
  • Invest in research to develop new technologies and new applications for existing technologies