Melbourne, Jan. 23, Australian mining giant OZ Minerals announced Wednesday that gold and copper production in 2018 was better than expected, and raised its gold production forecast for 2019 because of better ore grade.

The company said gold production in 2018 was 135,647 ounces, of which 130,856 ounces were produced by the large Prominent Hill mine in southern Australia. Prominent Hill’s annual gold production was earlier estimated to be between 120,000 and 130,000 ounces.

In 2017, the mine produced 126,713 ounces of gold.

Oz said copper production in 2018 was 115,998 tons, of which 110,111 tons were from the large Prominent Hill mine, higher than the previously estimated range of 10-110,000 tons. The mine’s copper output in 2017 was 112,008 tons.

OZ Minerals said its gold production forecast for 2019 rose to 115-125,000 ounces, compared with the previous range of 100-110,000 ounces.