cuba resumes some nickel production after ike

Cuba resumes some nickel production after Ike

HAVANA, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Cuba's nickel industry, damaged by Hurricane Ike a week ago, has resumed some production, state-run media said on Sunday, quoting basic industry Minister Yadira Garcia on a tour of the plants and mines.

Garcia said the state-owned Pedro Sotto Alba plant in Moa Holguin was operating and another state-owned plant in Nicaro Holguin was preparing to open.

Garcia said the joint venture Ernesto Che Guevara plant with Canadian company Sherritt International in Moa Holguin had suffered the greatest damage and gave no date for a restart there.

Cuba is one of the world's top nickel producers at 75,000 tonnes of unrefined nickel and cobalt per year. Nickel is the country's top export.

About half the output comes from the joint venture plant with Sherritt, which was also undergoing an expansion.

The Category 2 storm entered Cuba at Holguin's northern coast last Sunday, where the nickel industry is located, seriously damaging housing and buildings and swamping the area with torrential rains and a storm surge.

Cuba said at the time that damage was not serious and production would be renewed "in the next few days."

The government has not specified damage to the plants and other facilities, all located on the northern coast of Holguin.