Delivering its latest quarterly production report, the Swiss miner posted a 12% rise in coal output from the corresponding 2007 quarter.

Total consolidated production from Xstrata’s Australian, South African and Americas operations clocked in at 23.5 million tonnes, up from 20.9Mt for the same quarter last year.

Thermal coal volumes lifted 19% on the September 2007 quarter, thanks to productivity improvements at its New South Wales operations, in particular at the Ulan and Mount Owen mines.

The thermal coal figures were also boosted by the ramp-up of the Cerrejón mine in Colombia to 32Mt.

However, not all coal production grew, with Australian coking coal output falling 14% to 1.8Mt and Australian semi-soft coking coal down 22% to 1.4Mt.

Xstrata blamed pit sequencing and the timing of longwall moves for the declines.

As forecasted, coal prices jumped significantly in the quarter with the average received export free on board coal price $US107.60 per tonne of Australian thermal coal, more than double last September’s $53.10/t price tag.

The export FOB price for Australian coking coal more than tripled from the September 2007 quarter, up to $US313.80/t, while Australian semi-soft coking coal ramped up to $US245.80/t.