Vale Estimates $443 Million in Lost Cash Flow Next Year Due to Dam Break

   By Paul Kiernan 
 

RIO DE JANEIRO--Brazilian mining giant Vale SA said Tuesday it estimates $443 million in lost cash flow next year as a result of the Nov. 5 dam failure at its joint venture, Samarco Mineração SA.

The figure doesn't include damages Vale may have to pay as a result of legal actions--such as a $5.2 billion civil lawsuit filed Monday by the Brazilian government--against Samarco, Vale and its joint-venture partner, BHP Billiton Ltd, following the accident.

Instead, Vale said most of the immediate impact will come through lost production. The avalanche of mud released by the collapsed tailings dam knocked out a conveyor belt at Vale's nearby Fabrica Nova mine, effectively shutting down 9 million metric tons of iron-ore production and costing an estimated $485 million in lost revenue.

Vale also expects to lose $58 million in iron-ore sales to Samarco and $55 million in dividends from the joint venture, which had its operating license yanked shortly after the incident.

Avoided production costs are expected to offset the revenue losses by $155 million.

Write to Paul Kiernan at [e-mail]

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 01, 2015 09:13 ET (14:13 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2015 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.