Glencore PLC on Thursday halted a number of smaller mines due to government restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus but added its larger operations were not materially impacted.
The London-listed company said it would shutter its oil operations in Chad, some coal and ferroalloys operations in South Africa and Colombia, as well as nickel and zinc mines in Canada.
“To date, our larger operations have not been materially impacted, however a number of our smaller assets have had to restrict or stop operations,” the miner said in a statement.
Glencore joins peers such as Anglo American, Antofagasta, Codelco, and Teck Resources in temporarily closing or slowing some operations, hitting the global supply of commodities.
To slow the spread of the virus, South Africa and Colombia installed nation-wide quarantines this week that will run until mid-April, while Quebec province in Canada ordered non-essential businesses to close.
Glencore is one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies and a major producer and marketer of more than 60 commodities. The Group’s operations comprise around 150 mining and metallurgical sites and oil production assets.
With a strong footprint in over 35 countries in both established and emerging regions for natural resources, Glencore’s industrial activities are supported by its global marketing network.
Glencore’s customers are industrial consumers, such as those in the automotive, steel, power generation, battery manufacturing and oil sectors. We also provide financing, logistics and other services to producers and consumers of commodities. Glencore’s companies employ around 160,000 people, including contractors.
