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Glencore
Annual Report 2011

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FY2011 Annual Report · Glencore
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AnnuAl RepoRt 

2011

AnnuAl RepoR t 2011

tABLE OF 
cONtENts

1 | Overview

  1.1 | Performance highlights 
  1.2 | Chairman’s statement  
  1.3 | Chief Executive Officer’s review 
  1.4 | Business overview 
  1.5 | Sustainability 
  1.6 | Key performance indicators 
  1.7 | Principal risks and uncertainties 

2 | Business review 

  2.1 | Financial review 
  2.2 | Metals and minerals  
  2.3 | Energy products 
  2.4 | Agricultural products 
  2.5 | Reserves and resources 

3 | Corporate Governance 

  3.1 | Chairman’s Introduction  
  3.2 | Board of Directors 
  3.3 | Corporate governance report 
  3.4 | Directors’ remuneration report 
  3.5 | Directors’ report 

4 | Financial Statements

  Statement of directors’ responsibilities 

Independent auditors’ report 

  Consolidated statement of income 
  Consolidated statement of comprehensive income 
  Consolidated statement of financial position 
  Consolidated statement of cash flows 
  Consolidated statement of changes in equity 
  Notes to the financial statements 

5 | Additional information

  5.1 | Glossary 
  5.2 | Shareholder information 

9
12
13
14
19
22
24

38
48
58 
64
68

80
81
84
91
97

104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111

158
159

 
OvErviEw

1 | Overview

  1.1 | Performance highlights 
  1.2 | Chairman’s statement  
  1.3 | Chief Executive Officer’s review 
  1.4 | Business overview 
  1.5 | Sustainability 
  1.6 | Key performance indicators 
  1.7 | Principal risks and uncertainties 

9
12
13
14
19
22
24

1.1 | Performance highlights

•  Income  before  attribution  increased  4%  to  $  4.3  billion  in 

Adjusted EBIT

2011.

•  Industrial activities Adjusted EBIT 1 up 18% compared to 
2010, benefiting from generally stronger commodity prices 
and increased production.

•  Marketing activities Adjusted EBIT, excluding agricultural 
products which was adversely impacted by the unprece-
dented volatility and disruption in the cotton market, was 
over 10% higher than 2010.

•  Copper equivalent 1 production volumes increased 16% in 
2011 driven by a strong performance from the industrial 
 activities including:

  –  Kazzinc:  completion  of  the  new  copper  smelter  and  in-

creased gold production;

  –  Katanga:  57%  production  increase  of  copper  metal  con-

tained as a result of the phase III expansion;

  –  Mutanda: current production has increased 47,000 MT to 
64,000 MT. The growth is part of its 110,000 MT copper 
development project which is tracking ahead of schedule;
  –  Prodeco: 45% increase in production from 2010 attribut-

able to the current expansion project; and 

  –  Aseng field in Block I – Equatorial Guinea: first oil pro-

duced in Q4 2011.

•  Significant  increase  in  Kazzinc’s  mineral  reserves  at  the 
Vasilkovskoye, Maleevsky and Ridder-Sokolny deposits with 
 contained gold up 50%, contained copper up 136% and con-
tained zinc up 67%.

•  Strong and improving cashflow coverage ratios with FFO 2 to 
Net debt 2 increasing 20% from 22.6% to 27.2% and Net debt 
to Adjusted EBITDA 1 falling to 2.00 times from 2.38 times.

•  Following the Xstrata merger and Viterra acquisition an-
nouncements, Glencore’s current credit ratings are Baa2 
(review with direction uncertain) from Moody’s and BBB 
(watch positive) from S&P. 

n
o

i
l
l
i

m
$
S
U

6 000

5 000

4 000

3 000

2 000

1 000

0

2009

2010

2011

Marketing activities
Industrial activities

2009 2010 2011
1 591 2 337 1 911
1 716 2 953 3 487

Cu equivalent volume growth

9
0
0
2
n

i

1
o
t
d
e
s
a
b
e
R

1.6

1.5

1.4

1.3

1.2

1.1

1.0

2009

2010

2011

Marketing activities
Industrial activities

2010 2011
7%
28% 16%

4%

Net debt and FFO to net debt

n
o

i
l
l
i

m
$
S
U

15 000

12 500

10 000

7 500

5 000

2 500

0

30

25

20

15

%

10

5

0

2009

2010

2011

•  The Directors propose a final dividend of $ 0.10 per share, 
bringing the total dividend for the year to $ 0.15 per share.

Net debt (US $ million)
FFO to net debt (%)

1 Refer to glossary on page 158 for definitions and calculations.
2  Refer to page 43.

 | Annual Report 2011 | 9

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Glencore’s business segments are responsible for  
managing the marketing, sourcing,  hedging, 
 logistics and industrial investment and production 
activities for their respective commodities.

Glencore’s key strengths are its global scale,  
strong growth platform, diversity of   products, 
ability to add value, extensive and well  
established customer and  
supplier base and   
industrial and market - 
ing information flows. 

Metals and minerals 

Key commodities: zinc, copper, lead, 
alumina, aluminium, ferro alloys, nickel, 
cobalt and iron ore, including smelting, 
refining, mining, processing and  storage 
related operations of the relevant 
 commodities.

Energy products

Key commodities: crude oil, oil 
prod ucts, steam coal and metallurgical 
coal  supported by investments in coal 
mining and oil production operations, 
ports, vessels and storage facilities.

Agricultural products

Key commodities: wheat, corn, barley, 
rice, oil seeds, meals, edible oils, 
bio fuels, cotton and sugar supported 
by  investments in farming, storage, 
 handling, processing and port facilities.

Adjusted EBIT by segment 2011

6 000

5 000

n 4 000
o

i
l
l
i

m
$
S
U

3 000

2 000

1 000

0

5 290

5 398

3 307

2009

2010

2011

Metals and minerals
Energy products
Agricultural products
Corporate and other

10  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

Main office

Office

Independent agent

Metals and minerals asset

Energy products asset

Agricultural products asset

 
 
oveRview  |  BuSineSS Review  |  CoRpoRAte GoveRnAnCe  |  FinAnCiAl StAteMentS  |  AdditionAl inFoRMAtion

Glencore is a leading globally integrated producer and marketer 
of commodities with worldwide activities in the production,  
refinement, processing, storage, transport and marketing of 
metals and minerals, energy and agricultural products.

Revenue by region 2011

Non current assets by region 2011

11%

1%

17%

14%

$ 186 bn

24%

$ 34 bn

51%

26%

38%

5%

13%

Africa
Oceania
The Americas
Europe
Asia

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  11

1.2 | Chairman’s statement

In May 2011, Glencore welcomed new shareholders on the occasion of the listing of the company on the 
 London  and  Hong  Kong  stock  exchanges.  Before  the  Initial  Public  Offering,  Glencore  appointed  a  new 
Board which I am proud to lead as Chairman. Each Non-Executive Director has an excellent track record in 
an area of expertise directly relevant to Glencore’s operations.

2011 was a year of achievement for Glencore, despite the economic challenges that the world faced in the 
period. The development and urbanisation of China, India and other higher growth countries continues. The 
desire of hundreds of millions of people to improve their living standards, and the challenges of growing 
supply to meet that the resulting demand, underpin the fundamentals of global markets for commodities in 
the long term.

During the year, the Non-Executive Directors and I visited some of Glencore’s key assets. We were very im-
pressed by the high quality of the operations and the commitment of Glencore people around the world. We 
will improve the already high standards as to ensure an even better performance in the future. 

Glencore believes that sustainability must be an integral part of everything we do, enhancing the well-being 
of  our  employees,  surrounding  communities  and  local  environments.  In  September  2011,  Glencore  pub-
lished its first ever sustainability report. In recent years the company has established stringent global stand-
ards for Health, Safety, Environmental and Community (HSEC) relations performance under the Glencore 
Corporate Practice programme. During 2011, we also announced our membership of the Extractive Indus-
tries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a global effort to help Governments use funds generated from natural 
resources in a responsible manner.

In many cases, our industrial operations have already exceeded these standards. Challenges that remain, 
have the full focus of the HSEC Committee and Glencore’s Board. We will report our progress in subsequent 
sustainability reports. 

On 7 February 2012, the Boards of Glencore and Xstrata agreed an all-share merger of equals, to create a 
unique $ 90 billion natural resources group. The Board has unanimously agreed that the merger is in the 
best interests of Glencore Shareholders. It builds upon the long-standing relationship between Xstrata and 
Glencore  to  the  greater  benefit  of  both  companies  and  their  shareholders.  Since  Xstrata  was  created  by 
Glencore and then spun-out in 2002, these two entrepreneurial companies have grown separately into lead-
ers in the commodity industry, each with a different but highly complementary focus. Together these two 
companies will create a group with the capabilities and scale to play a leading role in meeting the growing 
global demand for commodities, whilst helping resource holding countries create value from their natural 
endowments. 

On 20 March 2012, Glencore announced a CAD 6.1 billion acquisition of Viterra, one of the world’s leading 
global agri-businesses and food ingredients companies with major operations across Canada and Australia. 
The transaction was announced in partnership with Agrium and Richardson International who have agreed 
to acquire part of Viterra’s Canadian operations for CAD 2.6 billion. The acquisition is our first major invest-
ment in the North American agricultural sector and reflects Glencore’s strong belief in the importance and 
future potential of the Canadian and Australian grain markets. It will also allow us to be well placed to par-
ticipate in future growth opportunities across the North American market. 

It is an exciting time for Glencore and for you, our shareholders.

Simon Murray
Chairman

12  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

oveRview  |  BuSineSS Review  |  CoRpoRAte GoveRnAnCe  |  FinAnCiAl StAteMentS  |  AdditionAl inFoRMAtion

1.3 | Chief Executive Officer’s review

2011 witnessed a number of events which inevitably disrupted the pattern of the global economy in the short 
term and with it the demand for commodities. The Japanese Tsunami severely impacted domestic and re-
gional supply/demand patterns, while the Arab Spring tightened the outlook for global energy markets with 
resultant higher prices in oil. This had broader ramifications for the global economy as it struggled to sustain 
the growth delivered during 2010 as the issue at the heart of the 2008 – 09 financial and economic crisis, namely 
general  levels  of  indebtedness  in  developed  economies,  remained  unaddressed.  The  dilemma  for  govern-
ments of developed economies since then has been and remains how to maintain consumption and invest-
ment growth while attempting to signal serious intent to the bond markets about reducing sovereign debt.

In light of this challenging economic environment we are pleased that Glencore has been able to continue 
to deliver a healthy financial performance with Glencore net income, pre-significant items, increasing by 
7% to $ 4.1 billion in 2011. This increase was supported by solid underlying profitability in the marketing 
 business against a generally difficult market backdrop. The industrial business benefited from stronger 
average  prices for the key commodities it produces as well as the increased production at many operations 
including Prodeco, Katanga, Kazzinc and Mutanda.

The improved financial performance and extensive fund raising activities completed during the year pro-
vides us with a resilient balance sheet and financial flexibility with close to $ 7 billion of committed liquidity 
at the end of the year, over twice the stated $ 3 billion minimum we set ourselves. This financial flexibility 
allowed us to continue to pursue various inorganic growth opportunities as we announced a number of bolt 
on acquisitions including Umcebo, Optimum Coal and Rosh Pinah Zinc. In addition, we also completed the 
takeover offer in respect of the minority shareholding in Minara Resources. 

Our listing on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges in May 2011 was the largest ever IPO of ordinary 
shares on the premium listing segment of the London Stock Exchange and the first simultaneous London 
primary and Hong Kong secondary IPO. The resulting governance and shareholder structure serves to align 
the interests of all stakeholders in the Company. The Board of Directors proposes a final dividend of $ 0.10 
per share for 2011.

Glencore’s IPO also coincided with the start of the next stage of our journey of value creation which will see 
us deliver organic industrial growth conservatively in excess of 50% by 2014, substantially ahead of our peer 
group average. This in turn should help drive volumes and enhanced returns within our marketing business, 
particularly  in  copper,  coal  and  oil.  In  2011,  our  key  industrial  expansion  projects  continued  to  progress 
with the portfolio overall on track and within budget giving us confidence that we can deliver considerable 
growth in the next twelve months even absent an improvement in the economic environment.

The announcement on 7 February 2012 of our proposed merger with Xstrata is the logical next step for two 
complementary businesses to create a new powerhouse in the global commodities industry. This is a natu-
ral combination which will realise immediate and ongoing value from marketing the combined Group’s prod-
ucts to maximise supply chain margin opportunities including via blending, swapping and storing to meet 
customers’ needs more efficiently and cost effectively. Furthermore, the combined Group’s enhanced scale, 
diversification and financial flexibility in combination with Glencore’s existing relationship with thousands of 
third-party commodity producers worldwide, is expected to allow us to capitalise on more opportunities to 
grow the enlarged asset base. The new Company, Glencore Xstrata, will be the most diverse major resource 
group which will be in a position to realise immediate and ongoing value for its shareholders.

Looking  ahead,  in  the  short-term  we  expect  a  continuation  of  the  healthy  growth  seen  within  emerging 
markets during 2011. Whilst looking to the longer term, we see no change to the fundamental drivers for 
healthy  markets  in  our  major  commodities.  Emerging  market  urbanisation  will  continue  to  increase  com-
modity intensity per capita as people strive to improve their living standards to a level which is taken for 
granted in developed societies. China will continue to remain the central driving factor given its existing 
scale, resources and growth objectives.

Ivan Glasenberg
Chief Executive Officer

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  13

  
1.4 | Business overview

Glencore’s  marketing  and  industrial  investment  activities  are 
supported by a global network of more than 50 offices located 
in  more  than  40  countries  throughout  Europe,  North,  Central 
and  South  America,  the  CIS,  Asia,  Australia,  Africa  and  the 
Middle East. Glencore’s main offices are located in Baar (Swit-
zerland),  Stamford  (Connecticut),  London,  Rotterdam,  Beijing, 
Moscow  and  Singapore.  This  network  provides  Glencore  with 
significant  worldwide  sourcing  and  distribution  capabilities. 
Glencore’s marketing operations employ close to 3,000 people 
worldwide, while industrial operations directly or indirectly em-
ploy  over  58,000  people  in  33  countries.  Refer  to  the  map  on 
page 10 and 11 for more details on the locations of offices and 
operations.

Glencore  has  an  established  record  of  successful  strategic  in-
vestments in industrial assets which have become an important 
component  of  its  physical  marketing  activities.  Glencore  in-
tends to continue to pursue selective strategic acquisitions and 
alliances to support and strengthen its core physical marketing 
activities as and when opportunities arise. Glencore evaluates 
each industrial asset investment opportunity on a stand-alone 
basis,  however,  also  recognising  its  potential  to  support  and 
strengthen  Glencore’s  physical  marketing  activities  or  its  ex-
isting  industrial  operations.  Similarly,  Glencore  evaluates  dis-
posals of industrial assets when they are no longer deemed to 
support its marketing activities and/or when compelling selling 
opportunities arise.

Glencore’s  three  business  segments  focus  on  the  following 
commodity segments:
•  The metals and minerals business segment focuses on: zinc/
copper/lead, alumina/aluminium and ferroalloys/nickel/cobalt/
iron ore. The activities of Glencore’s metals and minerals busi-
ness  segment  are  supported  by  ownership  interests  in  con-
trolled  and  non-controlled  industrial  assets  such  as  mining, 
smelting, refining and warehousing operations;

•  The  energy  products  business  segment  focuses  on:  oil/oil 
products and coal/coke. The activities of Glencore’s energy 
products  business  segment  are  supported  by  ownership  in-
terests  in  controlled  and  non-controlled  coal  mining  and  oil 
production operations as well as investments in strategic han-
dling, storage and freight equipment and facilities; and

•  The agricultural products business segment focuses on: grains 
(including wheat, maize and barley), oils/oilseeds, cotton and 
sugar. The activities of Glencore’s agricultural products busi-
ness  group  are  supported  by  investments  in  controlled  and 
non-controlled storage, handling and processing facilities in 
strategic locations.

OuR BusinEss

Overview
Glencore is a leading integrated producer and marketer of met-
als  and  minerals,  energy  and  agricultural  products.  Glencore 
operates  globally,  marketing  and  distributing  physical  com-
modities sourced from third party producers and its own pro-
duction. Glencore’s customers and suppliers number in excess 
of 8,000 and span the automotive, steel, power generation, oil 
and food processing industries. Glencore also provides financ-
ing,  logistics  and  other  essential  services  to  producers  and 
 consumers.

Glencore’s  long  experience  as  a  commodity  marketer  has  al-
lowed  it  to  develop  its  expertise  in  the  commodities  which  it 
markets.  Glencore  has  also  cultivated  long-term  relationships 
with a broad supplier and customer base across diverse indus-
tries  and  geographic  regions.  Glencore’s  marketing  activities 
are supported by investments in industrial assets operating in 
Glencore’s core commodities. Glencore’s marketing operations 
are believed to be less correlated to commodity prices than its 
industrial operations, due to commodity price risk being sub-
stantially hedged. 

As a marketer, Glencore is able to differentiate itself from other 
production  entities  as,  in  addition  to  focusing  on  minimising 
costs and delivering operational efficiencies, Glencore focuses 
on maximising the efficiency of the entire supply chain, taking 
into account its extensive and global third party supply base, its 
logistics, risk management and working capital financing capa-
bilities, extensive market insight, business optionality, extensive 
customer base, competitive market position in most commodi-
ties  and  economies  of  scale.  In  contrast,  this  is  not  the  busi-
ness model of Glencore’s mainly industrial competitors who are 
generally  not  set  up  to  exploit  the  full  range  of  value  added 
margin and arbitrage opportunities which exist throughout the 
commodity supply chain.

Businesses
Glencore conducts its operations in three business segments: 
Metals and minerals, Energy products and Agricultural products. 
Glencore’s business segments are responsible for managing the 
marketing, sourcing, hedging, logistics and industrial investment 
activities relating to the commodities which they cover.

Glencore

Metals and minerals

Energy products

Agricultural products

Zinc/copper/lead 

Oil

Alumina/aluminium

Coal/coke

Ferroalloys/nickel/
cobalt/iron ore

Grains

Oils/oilseeds

Cotton/sugar

14  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

oveRview  |  BuSineSS Review  |  CoRpoRAte GoveRnAnCe  |  FinAnCiAl StAteMentS  |  AdditionAl inFoRMAtion

OuR stRAtEgy

Glencore’s strategy is to maintain and strengthen its position as 
one of the world’s leading diversified natural resources groups.

Strategic objectives
•  Continue to leverage geographic scope and diversification 
of operations: Glencore intends to extend product and geo-
graphical range offered to suppliers and customers.

•  Capitalise  on  strategic  investments  in  industrial  assets: 
Glencore’s  strategic  investments  in  industrial  assets  are  an 
important  component  of  its  physical  sourcing  strategy  for 
its marketing activities. Glencore believes these investments 
 underpin Glencore as a reliable supplier for its customers.

•  Use additional capital and liquidity to grow the business: 
Glencore  believes  the  initial  public  offering  provided  re-
sources now available to fund future growth opportunities 
as they arise.

•  Focus on cost management and further enhancing logistical 
capabilities:  Glencore  intends  to  continue  its  focus  on  cost 
control and operational efficiencies at its industrial assets and 
on the sourcing of competitively priced physical commodities 
from reliable third party suppliers.

•  Maintain conservative financial profile and investment grade 
ratings:  Glencore’s  conservative  financial  profile  and  invest-
ment grade credit ratings have enabled it to consistently ac-
cess the required funding on competitive terms and maintain 
healthy levels of liquidity. Glencore intends to maintain its in-
vestment grade credit ratings.

•  Disciplined  risk  management: Glencore intends to continue 
its focus in this key area by maintaining and expanding its risk 
management resources, information systems and culture.

•  Place highest priority on employees, the environment and 
local  communities: Glencore places the highest priority on 
its  employees,  the  environment  and  the  local  communities 
where it operates.

MARKEting ACtiVitiEs

Function of marketing activities
Glencore’s  marketing  activities  source  a  diversified  range  of 
physical  commodities  from  third  party  suppliers  and  from  in-
dustrial assets in which Glencore has full or part ownership in-
terests.  These  commodities  are  sold,  often  with  value  added 
services such as freight, insurance, financing and/or storage, to 
a broad range of consumers and industrial commodity end us-
ers, with many of whom Glencore enjoys long-term commercial 
relationships.

Types of arbitrage strategies
Many  of  the  physical  commodity  markets  in  which  Glencore 
operates  are  fragmented  or  periodically  volatile.  As  a  result, 
discrepancies often arise in respect of the prices at which the 

commodities  can  be  bought  or  sold  in  different  geographic 
locations  or  time  periods,  taking  into  account  the  numerous 
relevant pricing factors, including freight and product  quality. 
These  pricing  discrepancies  can  present  Glencore  with  arbi-
trage opportunities whereby Glencore is able to deploy capital 
to generate profit by sourcing, transporting, blending, storing 
or  otherwise  processing  the  relevant  commodities.  Whilst  the 
strategies used by Glencore’s business segments to generate 
such margin vary from commodity to commodity, the main arbi-
trage strategies can be generally described as follows:
•  Geographic: where Glencore leverages its relationships and 
production, processing and logistical capabilities in order to 
source physical commodities from one location and deliver 
them to another location where such commodities can com-
mand a higher price (net of transport and/or other transac-
tion costs);

•  Product related: where it is possible to exploit the blending 
or multi-use characteristics of the particular commodities be-
ing marketed, such as the various crude oil products, coal or 
metal concentrates, in order to supply products which attract 
higher prices than their base constituents, or exploit existing 
and/or expected price differentials; and

•  Time-related:  where  it  is  possible  to  exploit  a  difference  be-
tween the price of a commodity to be delivered at a future date 
and  the  price  of  a  commodity  to  be  delivered  immediately, 
where  the  available  storage,  financing  and  other  related 
costs  until  the  future  date  are  less  than  the  forward  pricing 
difference.

Arbitrage ensures markets function more efficiently by deliver-
ing  supply  to  where  it  is  most  needed,  in  time,  geography  or 
product.

Glencore uses market information made available by its market-
ing  and  industrial  teams  across  its  many  locations  to  identify 
arbitrage opportunities. Glencore’s marketing and investment 
activities  and  relationships  with  producers  and  consumers  of 
raw  materials  are  supported  by  a  global  network  providing 
Glencore  with  visibility  over  shifting  supply  and  demand  dy-
namics in respect of sizeable volumes of physical commodities 
across  the  globe.  The  detailed  information  from  Glencore’s 
widespread operations and close relationships with producers, 
consumers  and  logistics  providers  often  enables  Glencore  to 
identify  opportunities,  taking  into  account  its  extensive  logis-
tics capabilities, to source and supply physical commodities at 
attractive margins.

Logistics
Glencore’s logistics operations are a key part of its marketing 
operations. They enable Glencore to fulfil its marketing obliga-
tions  and  to  maximise  arbitrage  opportunities  created  by  de-
mand and supply imbalances. Physical sourcing and marketing 
of commodities requires highly professional handling and ship-
ment of such goods from the supplier to the customer, including 
storage activities, as required. Typically, the staff handling the 
physical movement of goods (the “traffic team”) account for a 
significant proportion of the headcount of a business segment. 
Glencore’s dedicated chartering teams actively trade freight to 
gain  market  knowledge  and  volume  benefits.  The  freight  ele-
ment of transactions is furthermore used to maintain maximum 
physical  optionality  so  that  full  value  can  be  extracted  from 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  15

the underlying commodity positions of each department. This 
complements Glencore’s overall ability to seize geographic and 
time spread arbitrage opportunities as they arise.

fected  the  pricing  for  many  of  our  commodities  although  the 
impact on end demand was more muted.

inDustRiAL ACtiVitiEs

Glencore’s ownership of controlled and non-controlled indus-
trial  assets  is  designed  to  generate  attractive  stand-alone  re-
turns  and  overall  business  diversification.  They  also  serve  as 
a  way  to  source  physical  supply  for  Glencore’s  marketing  arm 
and  provide  further  market  insight  and  technical  know-how. 
Glencore  believes  that  its  corresponding  reduced  reliance  on 
third parties helps to ensure that suppliers and customers alike 
see Glencore as a more reliable counterparty.

Glencore  capitalises  on  investment  opportunities  created  by, 
among  other  things,  (i)  the  privatisation  of  natural  resources 
producers primarily in emerging markets, (ii) the rebalancing of 
asset portfolios by other players in the natural resources indus-
try and (iii) further industry consolidation as smaller producers 
sell out and/or seek capital to fund growth.

Any  decision  to  acquire  or  dispose  of  an  industrial  asset  is 
based on the stand alone potential of the asset and its poten-
tial contribution to Glencore’s marketing activities and requires 
group  level  approval.  Once  acquired,  an  asset  is  held  within 
one  of  the  business  segments.  The  business  segments  man-
age  the  controlled  and  non-controlled  industrial  assets  via 
hands-on  “asset  controllers”  to  interface  between  the  asset 
and Glencore in respect of day to day operating, financial and 
commercial matters. Glencore’s approach to the management 
of its industrial assets differs from some of its key competitors 
in  that  Glencore  encourages  its  industrial  assets  to  focus  on 
the elements of operating performance, which businesses can 
directly control.

MARKEt REViEw

2011 was a year characterised by recurring sovereign liquidity and 
solvency  crises,  widespread  popular  uprisings  and  large  scale 
natural disasters. In the background, China, the dominant force 
in  global  commodity  consumption  continued  to  tighten  credit 
conditions in order to keep inflation in check. The US economy 
remained lacklustre with household formation and job creation 
both muted, and business confidence weak. All of these factors 
had important effects on the levels of prices and demand for our 
major commodities.

The year started optimistically and the first six months saw 2010’s 
positive  momentum  in  prices  and  absolute  demand  levels 
continue.  However,  as  the  year  progressed,  the  fundamental 
impetus faded somewhat in the face of China’s deliberate de-
celeration  of  its  economy,  rising  global  oil  prices  and  the  re-
emergence of Eurozone debt concerns. Against this backdrop, 
the  second  half  of  2011  was  a  challenging  period  for  global 
financial  markets  in  particular,  with  governments’  reactions  to 
sovereign debt issues and fiscal policies having a strong daily 
influence on investor sentiment and behaviour. This in turn af-

16  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

In spite of this more difficult environment, the vast majority of 
commodities posted gains in average prices compared to 2010, 
with only those that are fundamentally over-supplied (e.g. fer-
rochrome  and  cobalt)  falling  year-on-year.  The  early  gains  in 
prices  were  largely  driven  by  stronger  industrial  output,  gen-
erally  positive  momentum  in  the  global  growth  cycle  and  the 
impact of the various liquidity injections of 2010. However, the 
Chinese  government’s  determined  intervention  to  ease  infla-
tion  undoubtedly  reduced  apparent  demand  for  many  indus-
trial commodities during 2011, with the rate of steel production 
growth in particular declining as the year progressed. This re-
sulted from slower growth in end demand in combination with 
tighter credit conditions which helped drive down inventory lev-
els within the supply chain. The resurfacing of grave Eurozone 
debt issues during H2 2011 triggered a renewed sell-off in risk 
assets, including commodities, with the rest of the world joining 
the destocking cycle. Investment demand from commodity in-
dices also generally declined during 2011. So while annual aver-
age prices were generally up in 2011, a comparison of absolute 
December 2011 and December 2010 prices better conveys the 
challenging nature of commodities markets over the past year 
and in particular during the second half. 

Base metals’ prices decreased between 14% and 26% in Decem-
ber 2011 compared to December 2010, with each metal in the 
complex trading relatively in-line with the others. Precious met-
als  were  both  more  disparate  in  their  performance  and  more 
volatile, with silver and gold both ending 2011 at higher levels. 
Oil  (and  oil  products)  and  gold  delivered  the  best  returns  in 
2011. Oil was largely driven by the Libyan supply disruption and 
general political  uncertainty within the  Middle East. Gold pri-
ces continued to benefit from negative global real interest rates 
and the combined resurgence in gold buying by central banks 
(as a diversifier of reserves) and investors (as a safe haven). Ten-
sions in the Middle East persist, and it is particularly noteworthy 
that the situation in Iran has the potential to dramatically alter 
the  oil  supply/demand  balance.  The  price  of  oil  has  a  unique 
ability to be self correcting at either end of the price spectrum 
given its importance to global growth and as such it will remain 
a defining factor for global growth in 2012.

With  less  exposure  to  financial  market  sentiment,  bulk  com-
modities  were  on  the  whole  steadier  than  exchange  traded 
metals during 2011. Thermal coal in particular remained broadly 
flat for the majority of 2011, with Australian flooding, US exports 
and the Japanese Tsunami driving uncertainty in the commod-
ity’s  supply/demand  balance.  Coking  coal  retreated  from  the 
spike  induced  by  the  flooding,  although  the  decline  is  less 
pronounced than that seen in the later stages of 2010. Iron ore 
was reasonably stable for much of the year, but dramatically fell 
away in October facing a Chinese buyers strike before eventu-
ally recovering at the end of year below the $ 140/t level.

Agricultural commodities had a turbulent 2011, with the markets 
reaching peaks in the summer of 2011. While the sector is typi-
cally less susceptible to macro headwinds (e.g. weak fixed asset 
investments  (FAI),  industrial  production  (IP)  and  GDP  growth) 

oveRview  |  BuSineSS Review  |  CoRpoRAte GoveRnAnCe  |  FinAnCiAl StAteMentS  |  AdditionAl inFoRMAtion

than  the  industrial  and  energy  commodities,  a  combination  of 
uncertain  politics,  unfavourable  weather  and  generally  low  in-
ventory levels drove prices up materially. Prices eventually stabi-
lised in the fourth quarter. While agricultural commodities may 
not revisit last year’s highs in 2012, a combination of improving 
non-OECD demand, continued low inventory levels and an un-
certain  supply  outlook  across  many  sub-groups  should  keep 
prices well supported around recent levels.

One of the key drivers of this growth is the Updated Phase IV Ex-
pansion at Katanga which was approved in Q4 2011. This expan-
sion will entail the construction of an additional 100,000 tonnes 
per annum solvent extraction plant and an in-pit crusher at the 
KOV Open Pit, which should allow Katanga to increase its cop-
per production to 270,000 tonnes per annum of LME Grade A 
copper by December 2013 and thereafter to 310,000 tonnes per 
annum.

Subject to developments in Iran, we continue to expect com-
modity  prices  to  remain  largely  supply  driven  during  2012. 
Generally,  inventories  remain  below  average  levels  in  most 
major  commodities.  We  continue  to  see  customer  behaviour 
and physical premia consistent with this view. This is a key dif-
ferentiator to the environment in 2008, when a major element 
of  the  correction  in  global  industrial  production  was  caused 
by the de-stocking of inventories. With most commodities pro-
ducing  at  close  to  capacity  levels  and  with  broadly  declining 
grade levels globally, the scope for supply disappointments re-
mains very real. 2011 has reminded us once more how weather 
and production disappointments are liable to compound sup-
ply issues when assets are operating close to capacity levels. 
Operating and capital costs have also continued to rise ahead 
of expectations around the commodity space, which is putting 
continued pressure on marginal costs.

On a longer term horizon, we see no change to the fundamental 
drivers for healthy demand in our major commodities. Emerg-
ing  market  urbanisation  will  continue  to  increase  commodity 
intensity per capita, as developing economies strive to improve 
their living standards to the level of OECD countries. China will 
remain the central driving force on account of its existing scale, 
inherent  potential  and  demonstrable  commitment  to  deliver 
growth  and  development.  The  precise  growth  rates  and  the 
patterns they form will clearly vary by country, reflecting devel-
oping  economies’  heterogeneous  political  and  cultural  struc-
tures. However, we firmly believe that the common theme will 
remain one of healthy long-term demand growth for the com-
modities which we supply.

New capital investment
Glencore is focused on delivering industry-leading organic pro-
duction  growth  which  in  turn  will  help  drive  growth  within  its 
marketing business. In this regard, Glencore is very focused on 
delivering this growth in a capital efficient manner. 

As a result of currently approved projects for metals and min-
erals  and  energy  products,  Glencore’s  own  production,  on  a 
100% basis, in copper equivalent units (using current commod-
ity price forward curves), is forecast to increase from 1.1 million 
tonnes in 2011 to in excess of 1.7 million tonnes in 2015, a Com-
pound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13%. 

In  2011,  overall,  our  key  industrial  growth  projects  continued 
to progress on track and within budget giving confidence that 
Glencore can deliver considerable growth in the next few years, 
even absent an improvement in the economic environment. 

The meaningful production growth experienced by the African 
Copperbelt  assets  in  2011  is  expected  to  continue  into  2012. 

At  Mutanda,  the  optimisation  of  the  front  end  of  the  Phase  III 
plant  and  the  associated  cobalt  circuit  is  expected  to  be  com-
pleted  by  the  end  of  Q2  2012  and  Q4  2012  respectively  which, 
along  with  the  already  commissioned  EW4  tank  house,  will  re-
sult in the overall hydrometallurgical complex being capable of 
producing  110,000  tonnes  per  annum  of  copper  cathodes  and 
23,000 tonnes per annum of cobalt in hydroxide at design feed 
grades. Mutanda also continues to assess various other expan-
sion options and is currently considering whether to expand the 
plant capacity to 210,000 tonnes per annum (with an initial cost 
estimate of $ 670 million) or to expand the existing plant capacity 
to 150,000 tonnes per annum in conjunction with the construc-
tion of a new 100,000 tonnes sulphide concentrator.

Mutanda, Katanga and Kansuki are engaged in a project to se-
cure power for all three operations through the refurbishment 
of two turbines at the Inga dam which is expected to provide 
450 megawatts of electricity. The project is being executed in 
partnership  with  Société  Nationale  d’Electricité,  the  national 
power operator in the Democratic Republic of Congo with an  
initial cost estimate of $ 340 million, recoverable via future low-
er tariffs.

The Smelter Phase III project at Mopani is currently underway 
which  includes  the  installation  of  three  new  converters,  gas 
cleaning  equipment  and  a  second  acid  plant,  which  will  im-
prove  sulphur  dioxide  emissions  capture  to  above  97%.  The 
project  is  on  schedule.  In  addition  the  Synclinorium  project, 
a  major  new  shaft  development,  should  provide  access  to 
115 million tonnes of copper ore and is expected to yield 4 mil-
lion  tonnes  per  annum  of  ore  by  2018,  replacing  production 
from the current ore bodies. 

Glencore’s  metals’  industrial  asset  growth  is  also  expected  to 
be  driven  by  Kazzinc.  The  new  IsaSmelt  copper  smelter  was 
commissioned in August 2011 and is forecast to ramp-up pro-
duction  to  its  design  capacity  of  70,000  tonnes  per  annum 
 during 2012. In addition, ore processing at Altyntau Kokshetau 
(Kazzinc’s gold unit) is forecast to ramp up to its design capac-
ity of 8.0 million tonnes per annum by 2013 (from an estimated 
7.0 million in 2012), with gold (including silver in gold equivalent) 
production expected to exceed 800,000 toz per annum.

Growth in the Energy Products industrial assets is expected from 
Prodeco as it ramps-up capacity to 21 million tonnes by Q4 2013 
through  development  primarily  of  the  Calenturitas  mine.  Also, 
construction  of  the  new  direct  loading  port  (Puerto  Nuevo  in 
Cienaga) is currently underway which will provide Prodeco with 
higher  annual  throughput  capacity  and  lower  operating  costs 
compared to the current port at Puerto Zuñiga. This project is 
on schedule and is expected to be commissioned in Q1 2013.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  17

In addition, the West African oil portfolio will further  contribute 
to  the  Energy  Products  industrial  asset’s  growth.  After  Aseng 
(Block I) commenced first oil production in November 2011 ahead 
of schedule, the development of the Alen gas/condensate field 
(Block O) remains on track for first production in late 2013 with a 
target flow rate of 37,500 bbl per day. Further exploratory drill-
ing is scheduled in 2012 in respect of various blocks in Cameroon 
and Equatorial Guinea.

For the Agricultural Products business unit, a five year expan-
sion plan is in place at Rio Vermelho which is due to increase 
crush ing capacity from 1 million tonnes to 2.6 million tonnes. 
There are significant organic expansion projects underway, pri-
marily  via  build  of  additional  crushing  capacity  in  Argentina, 
Hungary, Poland and Czech Republic.

Key objectives for 2012
In 2012, Glencore plans to invest some $ 2.9 billion of its current 
three year $ 5.3 billion capital expenditure plan, as it continues 
its primarily brownfield development strategy. This is expected 
to  generate  significant  growth  in  own-production  (in  copper 
equivalent terms) in line with Glencore’s objective of doubling 
same between 2011 and 2015. These developments include the 
continued  consolidation  and  expansion  of  the  copperbelt  as-
sets, however have not factored in significant further expansion 
potential of the South African coal portfolio, taking into account 
the recently completed Umcebo and Optimum investments. 

Glencore  will  continue  to  look  for  sensible  value  accretive  ac-
quisitions  as  opportunities  arise  for  further  enhancement  of 
its platform for future growth and returns and also continue to 
focus on cost efficiencies across its industrial activities, particu-
larly in an industry currently experiencing cost pressures from 
various sources.

Cash  generation,  liquidity  and  the  maintenance  of  its  in-
vestment  grade  credit  ratings  will  remain  key  focus  areas  for 
Glencore,  including  managing  existing  financing  facilities  and 
tapping new funds as appropriate to maintain a strong financial 
profile in order to deliver Glencore’s growth strategy.

Glencore’s  Board  has  agreed  an  all-share  merger  of  equals 
with Xstrata to create a leading global integrated producer and  
marketer of commodities. Upon completion, Glencore Xstrata  
will realise near term value from marketing the combined group’s  
products, be able to capitalise on more growth opportunities  
than the sum of either company alone and better optimise the 
combined group’s pipeline of development projects.

18  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

oveRview  |  BuSineSS Review  |  CoRpoRAte GoveRnAnCe  |  FinAnCiAl StAteMentS  |  AdditionAl inFoRMAtion

1.5 | sustainability

Glencore  Corporate  Practice  (GCP)  is  designed  to  ensure  ro-
bust business practice for sustainability and other non-financial 
business areas, throughout all Glencore business segments and 
commodity departments, at both corporate and local levels. It 
meets internationally-accepted best practice standards for cor-
porate governance and management of non-financial activities. 
We use it to continuously improve performance in these areas, 
and  to  develop  internal  and  external  understanding  and  ac-
ceptance of how we manage sustainability.

International law
Best practice standards

GCP principles

GCP management

Group and local 
policies

Local law

tHE sCOPE OF gCP

The GCP requirements are mandatory for everyone at Glencore. 
This applies throughout our marketing activities, and in all in-
dustrial activities where we own over 50% or have operational 
control. 

gCP gOVERnAnCE

Responsibility  for  GCP  development  and  implementation  lies 
with  our  Health  and  Safety,  Environment  and  Communities 
(HSEC)  committee,  established  by  Glencore’s  Board  in  2011. 
Chaired  by  an  independent  Board  member,  this  committee 
provides  the  leadership,  control  and  guidance  needed  to  en-
sure group-wide adherence to the GCP framework.

The  committee  evaluates  how  effectively  Glencore  identifies 
and manages environmental and health and safety risks, and as-
sesses our compliance with the relevant regulations. It assesses 
the impact of Glencore sustainability programmes on our em-
ployees,  local  communities  and  other  third  parties,  as  well  as 
the impact on our reputation. 

pendent  audits  of  Glencore’s  sustainability  performance,  and 
any  management  strategies  and  action  plans  in  response  to 
issues raised, making recommendations to the Board as appro-
priate.

PROgREss OVERViEw FOR 2011

Health and safety
It is with great sadness that we report 18 fatalities at our opera-
tions in 2011. We also saw lost time injury frequency rates that 
were  slightly  higher,  although  not  fully  comparable  with  2010. 
These results clearly reinforce our focus on continuous improve-
ment in health and safety. 

To this end, our HSEC Board committee initiated and conduct-
ed baseline assessments of health and safety in 2011, assisted 
by  an  internationally  renowned  independent  third  party.  As-
sessments started at our South American metals operations in 
January 2012, and will be rolled out across all operations over 
the rest of the year. These assessments are designed to improve 
the  transparency  of  our  health  and  safety  management  and 
provide additional input for taking any necessary corrective ac-
tion and improvements. This is a further step along the road to 
achieving our aim of a zero harm operation.

Environment
We experienced no serious environmental accidents (classified 
as  “Class  A:  Major”  by  our  environmental  incident  reporting 
system) in 2011. We believe this reflects the robustness of our 
procedures  and  policies,  particularly  in  light  of  our  extensive 
and  complex  activities.  These  activities  are  not  limited  to  the 
extraction  of  natural  resources  but  also  include  significant  lo-
gistical operations: for example, maritime transportation.

The majority of Glencore’s industrial assets are brownfield, rather 
than greenfield, operations. Greenfield projects are particularly 
prone to issues that involve disturbing land upon which people 
live  or  rely  for  their  livelihoods,  or  which  has  specific  environ-
mental  value:  for  instance  natural  beauty,  or  valuable  ecosys-
tems,  habitats  or  biodiversity.  In  contrast,  brownfield  legacy 
issues often require equipment upgrades or, in extreme cases, 
partial or complete rebuilding of facilities. This must generally 
be done while continuing production to maintain local levels of 
employment. This may result in a situation where our approach 
is challenged and subjected to scrutiny by local or global stake-
holders, such as NGOs or the media. Challenges typically focus 
on the timescales of our improvement projects, rather than our 
end objectives. This is because timescales for complex projects 
can be particularly lengthy and may not match the expectations 
of observers and other stakeholders. This has been the case for 
some of our operations in 2011.

The  committee  receives  management  reports  on  all  fatalities 
and serious accidents (and the resulting actions), and evaluates 
and oversees all sustainability reporting to external stakehold-
ers, on behalf of the Board. It reviews the results of any inde-

As stated in our GCP commitments, we are committed to con-
tinuously reducing the environmental impact of our operations. 
2011  saw  further  improvements,  with  many  initiatives  com-
menced, implemented or completed this year.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  19

One legacy issue subject to significant local and global stake-
holder scrutiny in 2011 involved our Mopani smelter operation. 
The smelter emissions have had a negative impact on air quality 
in the town of Mufulira in Zambia since its commissioning in 1937. 
Mopani’s  improvement  projects  continued  in  2011,  including 
modernisation of the smelter, which is progressing to an accel-
erated timetable. The pace of work, by both Mopani’s workers in 
Zambia and equipment manufacturers elsewhere, enabled us to 
announce that the modernisation will be finished by the end of 
2013. This is 18 months ahead of the target agreed with the Zam-
bian government in the environmental management plan. Once 
completed, we will capture over 97% of our emissions meeting 
international standards on emissions capture. 

In  2011  we  also  continued  with  significant  investments  in  our 
DRC operations, located in the province of Katanga. We contin-
ued the commissioning of our greenfield Mutanda copper and 
cobalt  hydrometallurgical  plant  in  accordance  with  a  phased 
approach. This has allowed us to use the latest environmental 
techniques including the construction of a double lined tailings 
facility. 

At Katanga Mining Ltd, our brownfield project in DRC, we con-
tinued upgrading the copper and cobalt metallurgical facilities. 
We continue to address environmental legacy issues and where 
possible accelerate solutions to reverse these. In February 2012 
we  completed  construction  of  the  effluent  discharge  system 
which will neutralise and discharge all effluent from the plants 
into a tailings facility, bringing to an end a legacy issue spanning 
more than 50 years. However, in the meantime the situation has 
also  attracted  NGO  and  media  attention.  Working  in  such  an 
environment  inevitably  means  that  there  are  many  challenges 
ahead, but we are satisfied that our responsible development of 
DRC resources continues to provide improved living conditions 
for the local population and over ten thousand quality jobs. In 
addition, Glencore makes significant direct voluntary contribu-
tions  towards  schools,  hospitals  and  other  infrastructure  for 
nearby communities.

2011 was also an important year for our coal operations in Co-
lombia, which made huge progress in expanding its two oper-
ating mines, as well as the construction of new direct-loading 
port facilities. This is expected to be one of the world’s leading 
coal  ports,  with  a  direct  loading  system  that  is  world-class  in 
safety, efficiency and environmental protection. 

As  part  of  our  first  sustainability  report,  we  estimated  our 
greenhouse gas emissions across the group. This showed that 
emissions  from  our  shipping  activities  outweigh  those  from 
land equipment. Consequently, we launched a project in 2011 
to  explore  opportunities  for  reducing  our  shipping  fuel  con-
sumption by systematically examining the energy efficiency of 
our time-chartered vessels. 

affected. The air quality concern is attributed to the operations 
of all four concession owners in the region, one of which is Pro-
deco. All four companies are committed to resettling residents 
in compliance with World Bank standards and their own corpo-
rate principles. During an assessment and community consulta-
tion carried out in 2011, it became clear that residents’ expecta-
tions were not being met by the government-owned operator 
managing  the  project,  and  that  the  process  required  greater 
transparency. For this reason, the four concession owners have 
now appointed an additional external team to support and ex-
pedite activities. Drawn from a world-renowned company with 
both local Colombian and international resettlement expertise, 
the team was deployed at the beginning of 2012. They plan to 
meet with community representatives in Plan Bonito, El Hatillo 
and Boqueron to collaboratively establish negotiation commit-
tees, create committee rules and procedures and agree a reset-
tlement action plan.

We also continued our established programme of social devel-
opment projects in 2011. We aim to tailor these programmes to 
the needs of the local communities. 

In the DRC, projects included the construction of a new on-site 
hospital  for  our  workers  in  Kolwezi  (and  their  dependants),  a 
new clinic at Mutanda, and a dispensary in the villages of Kando 
and Lualaba, which will provide medical services for more than 
5,000 people. We continued with the rehabilitation and main-
tenance of the roads of the Kolwezi district and in addition re-
habilitated the Kolwezi runway and airport. We continued with 
donations  in  the  forms  of  medical  supplies  to  local  hospitals 
and books and desks for local schools. Glencore completed the 
construction of the 102-bed Kisangani hospital in the northern 
province of Orientale. In March 2012, Glencore also completed 
the construction of the 75-bed Pweto hospital in the south of 
the Katanga province. Both new facilities include state-of-the-
art  medical  equipment,  and  cater  for  a  variety  of  specialised 
fields of medicine.

In Zambia, Mopani undertook a sanitation infrastructure project 
in the Wusakile township, with the construction of some 1,500 
new sanitation units. This was identified as an area where Mo-
pani could contribute to the people of Wusakile and bring an 
end to the recurrent outbreaks of typhoid fever. The rehabilita-
tion  of  the  Kitwe  bypass  and  the  Sabina-to-Mufulira  National 
roads were also undertaken during 2011. Mopani continued its 
involvement in schooling and health programmes, which have 
been  running  for  many  years.  Our  malaria  programme  enjoys 
continued success with the malaria incident rate in the town of 
Kitwe reducing from 200 out of every 1,000 people in 2001 to 
7.7 out of every 1,000 people in 2011. The Mopani HIV/AIDS pro-
gramme continues to be successful, with the transmission rate 
from mother to child reducing from 35% in 2005 to below 3% 
in 2011.

Communities
At  our  Calenturitas  coal  project,  based  in  Cesar  province,  Co-
lombia, we are undertaking a resettlement project in conjunc-
tion with three other mining companies. Air quality monitoring 
in the area led to a governmental decree to resettle three com-
munities,  with  approximately  600  households  expected  to  be 

Product stewardship
In 2010, our agricultural division qualified for the International 
Sustainability and Carbon (ISCC) certification scheme, in order 
to meet the requirements of the European Renewable Energy 
Directive (for sustainable biofuel production supply chains). For 
2011,  we  expanded  this  supply  chain  integrity  programme  to 

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our  crushing  plants  in  Argentina,  crop  cultivation  in  Australia 
and country offices in Europe.

Our  product  stewardship  activities  in  2010  were  largely  char-
acterised  by  preparations  for  the  new  European  substance 
registration  requirements  for  REACH  (the  European  Union’s 
chemical control act). Building on those achievements, 2011 saw 
product safety integrated further into our marketing activities. 
For our EU customers, this included implementation of an elec-
tronic safety datasheet distribution system, which we intend to 
roll out globally in the future. 

Reporting
We  issued  our  first  public  sustainability  report  (covering  the 
year  2010)  in  2011.  This  is  available  at  www.glencore.com/sus-
tainability. We plan  to issue our 2011 report in  the  summer of 
2012, which will include further details of the GCP management 
programme.

tHE gCP PROgRAMME

The  full  GCP  programme  will  incorporate  Glencore’s  group-
wide sustainability targets and objectives to the existing GCP 
framework. This will allow us to measure and report on our pro-
gress towards fulfilling our GCP commitments. 

Roll out of the GCP programme is a key sustainability milestone 
for  2012;  top-level  targets  and  objectives  will  be  published  in 
our 2011 sustainability report.

Every  business  within  the  group  will  contribute  its  own  set  of 
objectives to the programme, where necessary, appropriate for 
its  specific  operations  and  aligned  to  the  group  targets.  Peri-
odic assessments, management reviews and corrective action 
plans  should  ensure  that  performance  is  in  line  with  the  GCP 
requirements, objectives and targets. 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  21

1.6 | Key performance indicators

Glencore’s financial and sustainable development key performance indicators (KPIs) provide some measure of our performance 
against key drivers of our strategy.

Adjusted EBIT

6 000

5 000
n 4 000

o

i
l
l
i

m
$
S
U

3 000

2 000

1 000

0

2009

2010

2011

Funds from operations (FFO)

n
o

i
l
l
i

m
$
S
U

4 000

3 000

2 000

1 000

0

Adjusted  EBIT  is  a  measure  that  provides  insight  into  Glencore’s  overall  business 
performance (a combination of cost management, seizing market opportunities and 
growth) and the corresponding flow driver towards achieving an industry leading re-
turn on equity. Adjusted EBIT as defined in the glossary on page 158 consists of rev-
enue less cost of goods sold and selling and administrative expenses plus share of in-
come from associates and jointly controlled entities and dividend income as disclosed 
on the face of the consolidated statement of income, excluding significant items. 

2011 Adjusted EBIT was up 2% to $ 5,398 million compared to 2010, with industrial activi-
ties benefiting from stronger commodity prices and increased production and market-
ing activities impacted by unprecedented volatility and disruption in the  cotton market.

FFO is a measure that reflects Glencore’s ability to generate cash for investment, debt 
servicing and distributions to shareholders as well as an indictation of Glencore’s abil-
ity to deliver against its growth and financial flexibility objectives. FFO comprises cash 
provided by operating activities before working capital changes less tax and net inter-
est payments plus dividends received and adding back listing related expenses in 2011.

2009

2010

2011

2011 FFO was up 6% to $ 3,522 million compared to 2010, broadly consistent with the 
increase in Adjusted EBIT above.

Net debt/FFO to net debt 

n
o

i
l
l
i

m
$
S
U

15 000

12 500

10 000

7 500

5 000

2 500

0

2009

2010

2011

Net debt is an absolute measure of how we are managing our balance sheet and capi-
tal structure, while of equal or greater importance, the relationship of FFO to net debt 
is an indication of our financial flexibility and strength, a key driver of our strategy. Net 
debt  is  defined  as  total  current  and  non-current  borrowings  and  commodities  sold 
with agreements to repurchase less cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities 
and readily marketable inventory. 

30

25

20

15

%

10

5

0

2011 Net debt decreased 12% to $ 12,938 million compared to 2010, with the proceeds 
raised from the Listing offset by capex, working capital and business acquisition related 
investments. The ratio of FFO to net debt improved to 27.2% in 2011 from 22.6% in 2010. 

22  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

 
 
 
 
 
 
oveRview  |  BuSineSS Review  |  CoRpoRAte GoveRnAnCe  |  FinAnCiAl StAteMentS  |  AdditionAl inFoRMAtion

Lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR)

R
 F
T
L

I

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

2009

2010

2011

Metals and minerals
Energy products
Agricultural products

The  lost  time  injury  frequency  rate  (LTIFR)  is  a  key  measure  of  how  we  are  deliver-
ing against our commitment to the health and safety of our employees. The LTIFR is 
calculated  based  on  the  total  number  of  injuries  per  million  hours  worked  (by  both 
employees and contractors)

Group  2011  LTIFR  increased  from  3.44  to  3.75,  although  this  increase  does  not  ap-
propriately recognise the improvements achieved in metals and minerals and energy 
products which reduced from 3.92 and 1.18 to 3.29 and 0.81 respectively. Agricultural 
products reported an almost four-fold increase in LTIFR to 11.96, primarily attributable 
to enhanced reporting and portrayal of a selection of hazardous working conditions, 
such that a like for like comparison is not particularly meaningful in 2011, however will 
be so going forward. 

Number of environmental Class A accidents 

We undertake extensive and complex activities which are not limited to the extraction 
of natural resources but also include significant logistical operations such as maritime 
transportation.  To  measure  the  robustness  of  our  procedures  and  policies,  we  use 
ultimately the occurrence of Class A environmental accidents in the group. We classify 
disastrous or close to disastrous environmental accidents as Class A. Class A stands 
for incidents or spills with a major environmental impact that have a long-term effect 
reversible only by long-term remediation with aftercare. 

No Class A environmental accidents were reported in 2011 (2010: nil; 2009: 2).

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  23

1.7 |  Principal risks and uncertainties

Glencore’s business, results of operations or financial condition could be materially and adversely affected by competitive, eco-
nomic, political, legal, regulatory, social, business and financial risks and uncertainties. The risks described below are those that 
Glencore currently believes may materially affect it although this is not an exhaustive list. Additional risks and uncertainties not 
currently known to Glencore, or those which are currently deemed to be immaterial, may become material and adversely affect 
Glencore’s business, results of operations, financial condition and/or prospects. 

The results may differ significantly from those previously projected as a result of certain factors, including the risks which it faces, 
as described below. The order in which the following is presented does not necessarily reflect the likelihood of their occurrence or 
the relative magnitude of their potential material adverse effect on Glencore’s business, results of operations, financial condition 
and/or prospects. These principal risks and uncertainties should be considered in connection with any forward looking statements 
in this document and the cautionary statement.

EXTERNAL

Fluctuation in expected volumes of supply or demand for the commodities in which Glencore markets

Glencore is dependent on the expected 
volumes  of  supply  or  demand  for  com-
modities  in  which  Glencore  is  active, 
which can vary over time based on chang-
es  in  resource  availability,  government 
policies and regulation, costs of produc-
tion, global and regional economic con-
ditions, demand in end markets for prod-
ucts in which the commodities are used, 
technological  developments,  including 
commodity  substitutions,  fluctuations  in 
global  production  capacity,  global  and 
regional weather conditions and natural 
disasters, all of which impact global mar-
kets and demand for commodities.

Fluctuation of commodity prices 

The  revenue  and  earnings  of  Glencore’s 
industrial  asset  activities  and  to  a  lesser 
extent its marketing activities are depen-
dent  upon  prevailing  commodity  prices. 
Commodity  prices  are  influenced  by  a 
number of external factors, including the 
supply of and demand for commodities, 
speculative  activities  by  market  partici-
pants,  global  political  and  economic 
conditions  and  related  industry  cycles 
and production costs in major producing 
countries.

Impact:  Fluctuations  in  the  volume  of  each  commodity  produced  or  marketed  by 
Glencore could materially impact Glencore’s business, results of operations and earn-
ings. These fluctuations could result in a reduction or increase in the income gener-
ated in respect of the volumes handled by Glencore’s marketing activities, or a reduc-
tion or increase in the volume and/or margin in respect of commodities produced by 
Glencore’s industrial assets. 

mItIgatIon: The risk of fluctuations in demand for the commodities in which Glencore 
markets is managed by maintaining a diversified portfolio of commodities to market, 
reducing the impact of movement in any one commodity market. Individual commodi-
ties, even apparently closely linked products such as barley and wheat, have their own 
demand cycles reducing over-reliance on any single product. 

Impact: Fluctuations in the price of commodities produced or marketed could materi-
ally impact Glencore’s business, results of operations and earnings. The impacts that 
fluctuating commodity prices have on Glencore’s business differ between its market-
ing activities and industrial activities:

Marketing  activities:  In  a  market  environment  in  which  prices  for  a  particular  com-
modity are higher on average, the premiums/margins that Glencore generates in its 
physical marketing operations relating to such commodity as a result of geographi-
cal, time and quality imbalances tend to be higher. Glencore also generally benefits 
from fluctuating market prices, rather than long periods of stable prices, as it seeks to 
physically arbitrage such resulting price differentials. As prices of commodities rise, 
Glencore generally has higher working capital financing requirements over the same 
quantity of commodities in question. During periods of falling commodity prices, the 
opposite  applies  in  that  Glencore  will  require  less  working  capital  financing  for  its 
marketing activities.

Industrial activities: Higher prices will be particularly favourable to the profitability of 
Glencore in respect of those commodities which Glencore produces at its industrial 
assets or are produced by its associated companies and other investees. Similarly, low 
prices will negatively impact Glencore’s industrial activities and could result in such 
activities incurring losses. 

24  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

oveRview  |  BuSineSS Review  |  CoRpoRAte GoveRnAnCe  |  FinAnCiAl StAteMentS  |  AdditionAl inFoRMAtion

Fluctuation in currency exchange rates

The  vast  majority  of  Glencore’s  transac-
tions  are  denominated  in  U.S.  Dollars, 
while  operating  costs  are  spread  across 
several different countries the currencies 
of which fluctuate against the U.S. Dollar. 

A  significant  downturn  in  the  price  of  commodities  generally  results  in  a  decline  in 
Glencore’s profitability during such a period and could potentially result in a devalu-
ation  of  inventories  and  impairments.  Although  the  impact  of  a  downturn  on  com-
modity  prices  affects  Glencore’s  marketing  and  industrial  activities  differently,  the 
negative impact on its industrial activities is generally greater, as the profitability in 
the industrial activities is more directly exposed to price risk due to its higher level of 
fixed costs, while Glencore’s marketing activities are ordinarily substantially hedged in 
respect of price risk and principally operate a service-like margin-based model.

mItIgatIon: The risk of fluctuations in commodity prices is managed by maintaining 
a diversified portfolio of commodities, reducing the impact of movement to any in-
dividual  commodity  price.  In  addition,  Glencore  continuously  reviews  and  looks  to 
optimise its asset portfolio to ensure it is sufficiently cost effective and efficient and 
a substantial portion of our inventory is either under contract for sale at a predeter-
mined price or hedged through futures and options on commodity exchanges or with 
highly rated counterparties. Therefore, at any one time, the commodity price risk is 
restricted to a small proportion of the working capital balance. Financial expense risk 
during periods of low commodities prices is mitigated by maintaining an investment 
grade rating and a mix of floating and fixed rate funding options, the former generally 
passed on via the transactional terms in marketing arrangements. 

Impact:  The  vast  majority  of  transactions  undertaken  by  both  Glencore’s  marketing 
and  industrial  activities  are  denominated  in  U.S.  Dollars.  However,  Glencore  is  ex-
posed to fluctuations in currency exchange rates:

•  through its industrial activities, because a large proportion of the operating costs 
of these assets are denominated in the currency of the country in which each asset 
is located, the largest of such currency exposures being to the Australian Dollar, the 
Kazakhstan tenge, the Colombian Peso and the Canadian Dollar via Glencore’s stake 
in Xstrata;

•  through the costs of Glencore’s global office network, which are denominated large-
ly in the currency of the country in which each office is located, the largest of such 
currency exposures being to the Swiss Franc, the Pound Sterling and the Euro; and
•  through its marketing activities, although only a small minority of purchase or sale 

transactions are denominated in currencies other than U.S. Dollars.

Foreign exchange rates have seen significant fluctuation in recent years and a depre-
ciation in the value of the U.S. Dollar against one or more of the currencies in which 
Glencore incurs significant costs will therefore result in an increase in the cost of these 
operations in U.S. Dollar terms and could adversely affect Glencore’s financial results.

mItIgatIon:  Glencore  manages  the  risk  of  fluctuating  currency  exchanges  rates  by 
operating in a number of different geographies and by hedging specific future non 
U.S. Dollar denominated commodity purchase or sale commitments. 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  25

Impact: The geopolitical risks associated with operating in a large number of regions 
and countries, if realised, could affect Glencore’s ability to manage or retain interests 
in its industrial activities and could have a material adverse effect on the profitability, 
ability to finance or, in extreme cases, viability of one or more of its industrial assets. 
Although  Glencore’s  industrial  assets  are  geographically  diversified  across  various 
countries,  disruptions  in  certain  of  its  industrial  operations  at  any  given  time  could 
have a material adverse effect on Glencore’s marketing business. 

mItIgatIon:  Geopolitical  risk  is  managed  through  geographical  diversification  of 
commodities and operations, continuous monitoring and dialogue through and with 
Glencore’s network of field offices and a commitment to engage proactively with em-
ployees and the communities in which it operates, in order to maintain and improve 
its licence to operate. 

Geopolitical risk

Glencore  operates  and  owns  assets  in  a 
large number of geographic regions and 
countries some of which are categorised 
as developing, complex and having un-
stable political or social climates and, as  
a result, is exposed to a wide range of po-
litical,  regulatory  and  tax  environments. 
These environments are subject to change 
in  a  manner  that  may  be  materially  ad-
verse for Glencore, including changes to 
government  policies  and  regulations 
governing  industrial  production,  foreign 
investment,  price  controls,  export  con-
trols,  tariffs,  income  and  other  forms  of 
taxation (including policies relating to the 
granting  of  advance  rulings  on  taxation 
matters),  nationalisation  or  expropria-
tion  of  property,  repatriation  of  income, 
royalties, the environment and health and 
safety.

Compliance with a significant number of laws and regulations

As a diversified production, sourcing, mar - 
k eting  and  distribution  company  con-
ducting  complex  transactions  globally, 
Glencore  is  exposed  to  and  subject  to 
extensive laws and regulations  governing 
various  matters.  These  include  laws  and  
regulations  relating  to  bribery  and  cor-
ruption, taxation, anti-trust, financial mar - 
kets regu la tion, environmental  protec tion, 
management and use of hazardous sub-
stances and explosives, management of  
natural resources, licences over resour ces 
owned by various governments, explora-
tion,  development  of  projects,  produc-
tion  and  post-closure  reclamation,  the 
employment  of  expatriates,  labour  and 
occupational health and safety standards, 
and historic and cultural preservation.

Impact: These laws and regulations could allow governmental authorities and private 
parties to bring lawsuits based upon damages to property and injury to persons re-
sulting  from  the  environmental,  health  and  safety  and  other  impacts  of  Glencore’s 
past  and  current  operations,  and  could  lead  to  the  imposition  of  substantial  fines, 
penalties, other civil or criminal sanctions, the curtailment or cessation of operations, 
orders  to  pay  compensation,  orders  to  remedy  the  effects  of  violations  and/or  or-
ders to take preventative steps against possible future violations. Moreover, the costs 
associated with compliance with these laws and regulations are substantial and any 
changes to these laws could cause additional expenditure (including capital expendi-
ture) to be incurred or impose restrictions on or suspensions of Glencore’s operations 
and delays in the development of its properties. In addition, obtaining the necessary 
governmental permits can be a particularly complex and time consuming process and 
may involve costly undertakings. The duration and success of permit applications are 
contingent  on  many  factors,  including  those  outside  Glencore’s  control.  Failure  to 
 obtain or renew a necessary permit could mean that such companies would be unable 
to proceed with the development or continued operation of a mine or project, which, 
in turn, may have a material adverse effect on Glencore’s business, results of opera-
tions, financial condition and prospects.

mItIgatIon: Glencore is committed to comply with or exceed the laws, regulations and 
best practice guidelines applicable to its operations and products in the jurisdictions 
in which it operates and through continuous monitoring of legislative requirements 
and engagement with government and regulators it strives to ensure full compliance.  

Liquidity, or ready access to funds, is essential to Glencore’s businesses. Liquidity risk 
is the risk that Glencore is unable to meet its payment obligations when due, or that 
it is unable, on an ongoing basis, to borrow funds in the market on an unsecured or 
secured basis at an acceptable price to fund actual or proposed commitments. While 
Glencore adjusts its minimum internal liquidity targets in response to changes in mar-
ket conditions, its liquidity may be impaired due to circumstances it is unable to con-
trol, such as general market disruptions, sharp increases in the prices of commodities 
or an operational problem that affects its suppliers or customers or itself.

Liquidity risk

Glencore’s  failure  to  obtain  funds  could 
limit  its  ability  to  engage  in  desired  ac-
tivities and grow its business.

26  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

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Impact:  A  lack  of  liquidity  may  mean  that  Glencore  will  not  have  funds  available  to 
maintain or increase its marketing activities and industrial activities.

Marketing  activities:  Glencore’s  marketing  activities  employ  significant  amounts  of 
working capital to fund purchases of commodities for future delivery to its end cus-
tomers, to meet margin requirements under derivative contracts and to fund the ac-
quisition and maintenance of certain transport and storage assets which complement 
its  marketing  activities.  Any  inability  to  fund  these  amounts  of  working  capital  may 
prevent Glencore from maintaining its historic levels of marketing activity or from in-
creasing such levels in the future. 

 Industrial activities: Glencore’s industrial activities may be capital intensive and the 
continued funding of such activities is critical to maintain its ownership interests in its 
industrial  assets,  to  maintain  production  levels  in  periods  when  net  operating  cash 
flow is negative or insufficient to cover capital expenditures, to increase production 
levels in the future in accordance with its business plans and to grow its industrial ac-
tivities through the acquisition of new assets. Any inability to fund these operating and 
capital expenditure requirements may prevent Glencore from maintaining or growing 
its industrial activities’ production output.

mItIgatIon: Glencore operates a policy of liquidity risk management, whereby it seeks 
to maintain (via a minimum prescribed level) sufficient cash and cash equivalents and 
other sources of committed funding available to meet anticipated and unanticipated 
funding needs. 

Impact: Many of the physical commodity markets in which Glencore operates are frag-
mented or periodically volatile. As a result, discrepancies generally arise in respect of 
the prices at which the commodities can be bought or sold in different forms, geo-
graphic  locations  or  time  periods,  taking  into  account  the  numerous  relevant  pric-
ing  factors,  including  freight  and  product  quality.  These  pricing  discrepancies  can 
present Glencore with arbitrage opportunities whereby Glencore is able to generate 
profit  by  sourcing,  transporting,  blending,  storing  or  otherwise  processing  the  rel-
evant  commodities.  Profitability  of  Glencore’s  marketing  activities  is,  in  large  part, 
dependent on its ability to identify and exploit such arbitrage opportunities. A lack 
of such opportunities, for example due to a prolonged period of pricing stability in a 
particular market, or an inability to take advantage of such opportunities when they 
present  themselves,  because  of,  for  example,  a  shortage  of  liquidity  or  an  inability 
to access required logistics assets or other operational constraints, could adversely 
 impact Glencore’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

mItIgatIon: Glencore mitigates the risk of an inability to take advantage of arbitrage 
opportunities or lack thereof by maintaining a diversified portfolio of products and 
through  informational  advantages  Glencore  enjoys  via  its  global  network,  its  size-
able market share and logistics capabilities in many commodities enabling it to move 
quickly in response to arbitrage opportunities afforded by fluctuations and disequi-
librium in commodity markets.

MARKETING ACTIVITIES

Arbitrage opportunities

Glencore’s  marketing  activities  are  de-
pendent, in part, on its ability to identify 
and  take  advantage  of  arbitrage  oppor-
tunities.

Hedging strategy

Glencore’s  hedging  strategy  may  not 
always  be  effective,  does  not  require  all 
risks to be hedged and may leave an ex-
posure to basis risk.

Impact: Glencore’s marketing activities involve a significant number of purchase and 
sale  transactions  across  multiple  commodities.  To  the  extent  Glencore  purchases  a 
commodity from a supplier and does not immediately have a matching contract to sell 
the commodity to a customer, a downturn in the price of the commodity could result 
in losses to Glencore. Conversely, to the extent Glencore agrees to sell a commodity 
to a customer and does not immediately have a matching contract to acquire the com-

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  27

modity from a supplier, an increase in the price of the commodity could result in losses 
to Glencore, as it then seeks to acquire the underlying commodity in a rising market.
In the event of disruptions in the commodity exchanges or markets on which Glencore 
engages in hedging transactions, Glencore’s ability to manage commodity price risk 
may be adversely affected and this could in turn materially adversely affect its busi-
ness, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, there are no traded or bilateral derivative markets for certain commodi-
ties that Glencore purchases and sells, which limits Glencore’s ability to fully hedge its 
exposure to price fluctuations for these commodities. 

mItIgatIon: In order to mitigate the risks in its marketing activities related to commod-
ity price fluctuations and potential losses, Glencore has a policy, at any given time, 
of hedging substantially all of its marketing inventory and relevant forward purchase 
commitments  not  already  contracted  for  sale  at  pre-determined  prices  through  fu-
tures and swap commodity derivative contracts, either on commodities’ exchanges or 
in the over the counter market.

In instances where there are no traded or bilateral derivative markets for certain com-
modities,  Glencore’s  ability  to  hedge  its  commodity  exposure  is  limited  to  forward 
contracts for the physical delivery of a commodity or futures and swap contracts for a 
different, but seemingly related, commodity.

Impact: Non-performance by Glencore’s suppliers, customers and hedging counter-
parties may occur in a range of situations, such as: 

•  a significant increase in commodity prices could result in suppliers being unwilling 
to honour their contractual commitments to sell commodities to Glencore at pre-
agreed prices;

•  a significant reduction in commodity prices could result in customers being unwilling 
or unable to honour their contractual commitments to purchase commodities from 
Glencore at pre-agreed prices;

•  customers  may  take  delivery  of  commodities  from  Glencore  and  then  find  them-
selves unable to honour their payment obligations due to financial distress or any 
other reasons; and

•  hedging  counterparties  may  find  themselves  unable  to  honour  their  contractual 

commitment due to financial distress or other reason.

Non-performance by a counterparty could have an adverse impact on its business, 
results  of  operations  and  financial  condition,  including  by  creating  an  unintended, 
unmatched commodity price exposure.

In addition, financial assets consisting principally of cash and cash equivalents, mar-
ketable  securities,  receivables  and  advances,  derivative  instruments  and  long-term 
advances and loans could potentially expose Glencore to concentrations of credit risk.

mItIgatIon:  Glencore  seeks  to  reduce  the  risk  of  customer  non-payment  by  requir-
ing credit support from creditworthy financial institutions including making extensive 
use of credit enhancement products, such as letters of credit or insurance policies, 
where appropriate, and by imposing limits on open accounts extended. Whilst these 
limits  are  believed  appropriate  based  on  current  levels  of  perceived  risk,  there  is  a 
possibility that a protracted difficult economic environment would negatively impact 
the quality of these exposures. In addition, mark-to-market exposures in relation to 
hedging contracts are regularly and substantially collateralised (primarily with cash) 
pursuant to margin arrangements put in place with such hedge counterparts.

Glencore actively monitors the credit quality of its counterparties, including the risk of 
non-performance by suppliers and customers alike, through internal reviews, strong 
relationships  and  industry  experience  and  a  credit  scoring  process  which  includes, 
where available, public credit ratings.

Counterparty credit and performance risk 

Glencore,  in  particular  via  its  marketing 
activities, is subject to non performance 
risk by its suppliers, customers and hedg-
ing counterparties. 

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Impact:  Glencore’s  marketing  activities  are  exposed  to  commodity  price,  foreign 
exchange,  interest  rate,  counterparty  (including  credit),  operational,  regulatory  and 
other risks. Glencore has devoted significant resources to developing and implement-
ing policies and procedures to manage these risks and expects to continue to do so in 
the future. Nonetheless, Glencore’s policies and procedures to identify, monitor and 
manage risks have not been fully effective in the past and may not be fully effective in 
the future. Some of Glencore’s methods of monitoring and managing risk are based 
on historical market behaviour that may not be an accurate predictor of future market 
behaviour. Other risk management methods depend on evaluation of information re-
lating to markets, suppliers, customers and other matters that are publicly available 
or otherwise accessible by Glencore. This information may not in all cases be accu-
rate, complete, up to date or properly evaluated. Management of operational, legal 
and regulatory risk requires, among other things, policies and procedures to properly 
record and verify a large number of transactions and events, and these policies and 
procedures may not be fully effective in doing so.

Failure to mitigate all risks associated with Glencore’s business could have a material 
adverse effect on Glencore’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

mItIgatIon: Glencore uses, among other techniques, Value-at-Risk, or VaR, as a key 
market risk measurement technique for its marketing activities. VaR does not purport 
to represent actual gains or losses in fair value on earnings to be incurred by Glencore, 
nor does Glencore expect that VaR results are indicative of future market movements 
or representative of any actual impact on its future results. VaR has certain limitations; 
notably, the use of historical data as a proxy for estimating future events, market il-
liquidity risks and tail risks. While Glencore recognises these limitations and continu-
ously refines its VaR analysis, there can be no assurance that its VaR analysis will be an 
effective risk management methodology. Management of counterparty non-payment 
risk is mitigated by substantial use of credit enhancement products, including letters 
of credit, insurance and bank guarantees. Please refer to section 2.1 Financial review 
for further explanation on the use of VaR.

Impact:  Any  disruptions  in  the  supply  of  product  by  factors  such  as  weather  and 
other  natural  disasters,  unexpected  maintenance  problems,  collapse  or  damage  to 
mines, labour disruptions and changes in laws and regulations could adversely affect 
Glencore’s margins. Glencore’s business, results of operations, financial condition and 
prospects could be materially adversely impacted if it is unable to continue to source 
required volumes of commodities from its suppliers on reasonable terms or at all.

mItIgatIon: Glencore sources product from a large range of suppliers (industrial as-
sets and third parties) and is not reliant on any one supplier to satisfy its performance. 
This enables Glencore to source alternative product in the event of supply disruption. 
Glencore benefits from investments in numerous communities and shared ownership 
with local entities that helps to mitigate against some country specific risks.

Risk management policies and procedures

Identifying,  quantifying  and  managing 
risk is complex and challenging and al-
though it is Glencore’s policy and prac-
tice to identify and, where appropriate 
and  practical,  actively  manage  such 
risks  to  support  its  objectives  in  man-
aging its capital and future financial se-
curity and flexibility, Glencore’s policies 
and  procedures  may  not  adequately 
identify, monitor and quantify risk.

Supply of commodities from third parties

Glencore  purchases  a  portion  of  the 
physical commodities sold by its market-
ing  activities  from  its  controlled  indus-
trial operations and associates, including 
Xstrata. The remainder of the commodi-
ties sourced by its marketing operations 
are  purchased  from  third  party  suppli-
ers  and  entities  in  which  Glencore  has 
a  minority  stake  (excluding  associates). 
Glencore  expects  to  continue  to  source 
commodities  from  such  third  parties  in 
the  future.  Glencore  is  potentially  ex-
posed to both price and supply risks with 
respect  to  commodities  sourced  from 
third parties and entities in which it holds 
a  minority  stake.  Glencore  is  reliant  on 
third parties to source the majority of the 
commodities purchased by its marketing 
operations.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  29

Freight, storage, infrastructure and  logistics support

Glencore’s  marketing  activities  require 
access  to  significant  amounts  of  freight, 
storage, infrastructure and logistics sup-
port and it is exposed to increases in the 
costs thereof. In addition, Glencore often 
competes with other producers, purchas-
ers or marketers of commodities or other 
products  for  limited  storage  and  berth-
ing  facilities  at  ports  and  freight  termi-
nals, which can result in delays in loading 
or  unloading  Glencore’s  products  and 
expose  Glencore  to  significant  delivery 
interruptions.

INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES

Impact: Increases in the costs of freight, storage, infrastructure and logistics support 
or  limitations  or  interruptions  in  the  supply  chain  which  impedes  Glencore’s  ability 
to deliver its products on time, could adversely affect Glencore’s business, results of 
operations or financial condition.

mItIgatIon: The risk of disruptions to or limitations of freight, storage, infrastructure 
and logistics support is mitigated through Glencore’s market position, global reach 
and  its  longstanding  relationships  with  third  party  suppliers  of  freight.  These  give 
Glencore an advantage in ensuring its commodity transport needs are met along with 
its  investments  in  storage  and  logistic  assets  such  as  vessels,  oil  terminals,  metals 
warehouses and grain silos. 

Non-controlling stakes, joint ventures and strategic, partnership arrangements

Some  of  Glencore’s  industrial  assets  are 
held  through  non-controlling  stakes  or 
joint  ventures  and  strategic  partnership 
arrangements.

Impact: Glencore does not control a number of its industrial investments. Although 
Glencore  has  various  structures  in  place  which  seek  to  protect  its  position  where  it 
does not exercise control, the boards of these companies may:

•  have economic or business interests or goals that are inconsistent with or are  opposed 

to those of Glencore;

•  exercise  veto  rights  or  take  shareholders’  decisions  so  as  to  block  actions  that 
Glencore believes to be in its best interests and/or in the best interests of all share-
holders;

•  take action contrary to Glencore’s policies or objectives with respect to its invest-

ments or commercial arrangements; or

•  as a result of financial or other difficulties, be unable or unwilling to fulfil their obli-
gations under any joint venture or other agreement, such as contributing capital to 
expansion or maintenance projects.

Improper management or ineffective policies, procedures or controls of a non-con-
trolled entity could adversely affect the business, results of operations and financial 
condition of the relevant investment and, therefore, of Glencore.

mItIgatIon: Where projects and operations are controlled and managed by Glencore’s 
co-investors or where control is shared on an equal basis, Glencore may provide ex-
pertise and advice, but it has limited or restricted ability to mandate compliance with 
Glencore’s policies and/or objectives.

Project development

Glencore  has  a  number  of  significant 
expansions  planned  for  its  existing  op-
erations,  the  development  of  which  is 
exposed to a number of risks outside of 
its  control  such  as  technical  uncertain-
ties,  availability  of  suitable  financing,  in-
frastructure  constraints,  cost  overruns, 
insufficient labour skills or resources and 
delays  in  permitting  or  other  regulatory 
matters.

Impact: Any future upward revisions in estimated project costs, delays in completing 
planned expansions, cost overruns, suspension of current projects or other operation-
al difficulties after commissioning, may have a material adverse effect on Glencore’s 
business, results of operations and financial condition, in turn requiring Glencore to 
consider delaying discretionary expenditures, including capital expenditures, or sus-
pending or altering the scope of one or more of its development projects.

mItIgatIon: Project development risks are mitigated and managed through Glencore’s 
continuous project status evaluation and reporting processes, the significant focus of 
such being appropriate approval processes and transparent and timely reporting of 
costs and progress relative to plan. Significant projects are regularly audited against 
the project plan and reporting processes. 

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oveRview  |  BuSineSS Review  |  CoRpoRAte GoveRnAnCe  |  FinAnCiAl StAteMentS  |  AdditionAl inFoRMAtion

Operating risks and hazards

Glencore’s industrial activities are  subject 
to  numerous  operating  risks  and  hazards 
normally associated with the  development 
and operation of natural resource projects, 
many of which are beyond Glencore’s con-
trol. 

These operating risks and hazards  include 
unanticipated  variations  in  grade  and 
other geological problems, seismic activ-
ity,  climatic  conditions  such  as  flooding 
or drought, metallurgical and other pro-
cessing problems, technical failures, una-
vailability  of  materials  and  equipment, 
industrial  actions  or  disputes,  industrial 
accidents,  labour  force  disruptions,  un-
anticipated  transportation  constraints, 
tribal  action  or  political  protests,  force 
majeure  factors,  environmental  hazards, 
fire, explosions, vandalism and crime. 

Impact: These risks and hazards could result in damage to, or destruction of, proper-
ties or production facilities, may cause production to be reduced or to cease at those 
properties or production facilities, may result in personal injury or death, environmen-
tal damage, business interruption and legal liability and may result in actual produc-
tion differing from estimates of production.

The realisation of such operating risks and hazards and the costs associated with them 
could materially adversely affect Glencore’s business, results of operations and finan-
cial condition, including by requiring significant capital and operating expenditures 
to abate the risk or hazard, restore Glencore or third party property, compensate third 
parties for any loss and/or pay fines or damages.

mItIgatIon: Operating risks and hazards are managed through Glencore’s continuous 
assessment, reporting and communication of the risks that affect its business through 
its annual risk review processes and updates to its risk register. In addition, risk is miti-
gated somewhat through geographic and multiple project diversification.

Title to the land, resource tenure and extraction rights

Glencore  has  industrial  activities  invest-
ments  in  certain  countries  where  title  to 
land  and  rights  in  respect  of  land  and 
resources (including indigenous title) has 
not  been  and  may  not  always  be  clear, 
creating  the  potential  for  disputes  over 
resource  development.  In  many  cases, 
the government of the country in which a 
particular asset is located is the sole au-
thority  able  to  grant  such  rights  and,  in 
some cases, may have limited infrastruc-
ture  and  limited  resources  which  may 
constrain Glencore’s ability to ensure that 
it  has  obtained  secure  title  to  individual 
exploration licences or extraction rights.

Availability of infrastructure

The production, processing and product 
delivery capabilities of Glencore’s indus-
trial assets rely on their infrastructure be-
ing adequate and remaining available. 

Impact: Glencore does not believe that any such disputes are imminent, however, such 
a dispute, if related to a material industrial asset, could disrupt or delay relevant min-
ing,  processing  or  other  projects  and/or  impede  Glencore’s  ability  to  develop  new 
industrial properties and may have a material adverse effect on Glencore’s business, 
results of operations and financial condition.

mItIgatIon: Title and tenure risks are managed through geographical diversification 
of  commodities  and  operations,  continuous  monitoring  and  dialogue  through  and 
with Glencore’s network of local offices and a commitment to engage proactively with 
employees, governments and the communities in which Glencore operates to main-
tain and better its licence to operate.

Impact:  The  mining,  drilling,  processing,  development  and  exploration  activities  of 
the industrial assets in which Glencore holds an interest depend on adequate infra-
structure. Certain of these assets are located in areas that are sparsely populated and 
difficult to access. Reliable roads, power sources, transport infrastructure and water 
supplies are essential for the conduct of these operations and the availability and cost 
of these utilities and infrastructure affect capital and operating costs and therefore 
Glencore’s ability to maintain expected levels of production and results of operations. 
Any such issues arising in respect of the infrastructure supporting or on Glencore’s 
sites could have a material adverse effect on Glencore’s business, results of opera-
tions, financial condition and prospects. 

mItIgatIon: Availability of infrastructure risk is mitigated through the continuous moni-
toring and dialogue through and with Glencore’s network of local offices, a commit-
ment to engage proactively with governments and the communities in which Glencore 
operates to maintain and improve its licence to operate, and where appropriate, the 
establishment of back-up sources of power.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  31

Cost control

As  commodity  prices  themselves  are 
out side of Glencore’s control, the com-
petitiveness  and  sustainable  long-term  
profitability  of  its  industrial  asset   port - 
folio depends significantly on its ability 
to  closely  manage  costs  and  maintain 
a  broad  spectrum  of  low-cost,  efficient 
operations.  Costs  associated  with  the 
operation  of  Glencore’s  industrial  as-
sets can be broadly categorised into la-
bour costs and other on-site expenses, 
including power and equipment costs. 

Resources and reserves

Glencore’s  stated  mineral,  coal  and  hy-
drocarbon  reserves,  resources  and  min-
eralised potential are only estimates and 
the  anticipated  volumes  or  grades  may 
not be achieved. 

Environmental hazards

The  processes  and  chemicals  used  in 
Glencore’s  extraction  and  production 
methods,  as  well  as  its  shipping  and 
storage activities, are subject to environ-
mental hazards. 

32  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

Impact:  Production  costs  are  heavily  influenced  by  the  extent  of  ongoing  develop-
ment required, ore grades, mine planning, processing technology, logistics, energy 
and supply costs and the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on costs of operations. 
All  of  Glencore’s  industrial  assets  are,  to  varying  degrees,  affected  by  increases  in 
costs for labour and fuel. Unit production costs are also significantly affected by pro-
duction volumes and therefore production levels are frequently a key factor in deter-
mining the overall cost competitiveness of Glencore’s industrial activities.

mItIgatIon:  Maintaining  costs  and  where  appropriate  lowering  them  is  supported  by 
Glencore’s continuous reporting on these measures, coupled with the inclusion of cer-
tain cost control evaluation measures in assessing management performance. In addi-
tion, risk is mitigated somewhat through geographic and multiple project diversification.

Impact: Actual reserves, resources or mineralised potential may not conform to ge-
ological,  metallurgical  or  other  expectations,  and  the  volume  and  grade  of  ore  or 
product recovered may be below the estimated levels. Lower market prices, increased 
production  costs,  reduced  recovery  rates  and  other  factors  may  render  Glencore’s 
reserves, resources or mineralised potential uneconomic to exploit and may result in 
revision of its reserve estimates from time to time. If Glencore’s actual mineral, coal 
and hydrocarbon reserves and resources are less than current estimates or if Glencore 
fails to develop its resource base through the realisation of identified or new mineral 
potential, Glencore’s business, results of operations and financial condition may be 
materially and adversely affected.

mItIgatIon: Glencore updates annually the quantity and quality of the estimated proven 
and probable reserves to reflect extraction, additional drilling and other available data 
in accordance with internationally recognized reporting frameworks, including JORC, 
SAMREC and PRMS. For the major deposits, the estimates are prepared and signed off 
by independent competent persons.

Impact: Where Glencore holds or has interests in industrial activities, these assets are 
generally subject to environmental hazards as a result of the processes and chemicals 
used in traditional extraction, production, storage, disposal and transportation meth-
ods. Environmental hazards may exist on Glencore’s owned or leased properties or at 
those of the industrial activities in which it holds an interest, or may be encountered 
while its products are in transit. The storage of tailings at Glencore’s industrial assets 
may present a risk to the environment, property and persons, where there remains a 
risk of leakage from or failure of Glencore’s tailings dams.

Additionally, Glencore conducts oil exploration and drilling activities and also stores 
and transports crude oil and oil products around the world. Damage to exploration or 
drilling equipment, a vessel carrying oil or to a facility where it is stored could lead to 
a spill, causing environmental damage with significant clean-up or remediation costs.

Glencore may be liable for losses associated with environmental hazards, have its li-
cences and permits withdrawn or suspended or may be forced to undertake extensive 
remedial  clean-up  action  or  to  pay  for  government-ordered  remedial  clean-up  ac-
tions, even in cases where such hazards have been caused by any previous or subse-
quent owners or operators of the property, by any past or present owners of adjacent 
properties, by independent third party contractors providing services to Glencore or 
by  acts  of  vandalism  by  trespassers.  Any  such  losses,  withdrawals,  suspensions,  ac-
tions or payments may have a material adverse effect on Glencore’s business, results 
of operations and financial condition.

oveRview  |  BuSineSS Review  |  CoRpoRAte GoveRnAnCe  |  FinAnCiAl StAteMentS  |  AdditionAl inFoRMAtion

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Emissions and climate change regulation

Glencore’s global presence exposes it to 
a number of jurisdictions in which regula-
tions or laws have been or are being con-
sidered to limit or reduce emissions. The 
likely  effect  of  these  changes  will  be  to 
increase the cost for fossil fuels, impose 
levies for emissions in excess certain per-
mitted levels and increase administrative 
costs for monitoring and reporting. 

Community relations

The continued success of Glencore’s ex-
isting  operations  and  its  future  projects 
are  in  part  dependent  upon  broad  sup-
port  and  a  healthy  relationship  with  the 
respective local communities. 

mItIgatIon: Compliance with international and local regulations, protecting our peo-
ple, communities and the environment from harm and our operations from business 
interruptions are top priorities for Glencore. Glencore operating procedures and those 
of its partners in relation to owned tankers conform to industry best practise working 
under the guidelines of the International Maritime Organisation (“IMO”), relevant Flag 
States and top tier Classification societies. Tankers chartered from third  parties are re-
quired to meet strict vetting inspection requirements in line with OCIMF (Oil Compa-
nies International Marine Forum) and Glencore’s own standards. Glencore’s oil explo-
ration activities engage best industry practises and procedures and utilise first class 
drilling contractors with proven expertise and experience. Additionally, wide-spread 
and comprehensive insurance cover is actively procured, to reduce the financial im-
pact of operational risks, property damage, business interruption and environmental 
liabilities to the extent possible.

Impact: Increasing regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, including the progressive 
introduction of carbon emissions trading mechanisms and tighter emission reduction 
targets is likely to raise production, transportation and administrative costs. In addi-
tion, regulation of greenhouse gas emissions in the jurisdictions of Glencore’s major 
customers and in relation to international shipping could also have a material adverse 
effect on the demand for some of Glencore’s products.

mItIgatIon: Glencore, through its sustainability program, strives to ensure emissions and 
climate change issues are identified, understood and effectively managed and monitored 
in order to meet international best practice standards and ensure regulatory compliance.

Impact: If it is perceived that Glencore is not respecting or advancing the economic and 
social progress and safety of the communities in which it operates, Glencore’s reputa-
tion and shareholder value could be damaged, which could have a negative impact on 
its ‘‘social licence to operate’’, its ability to secure new resources and its financial perfor-
mance. The consequences of negative community reaction could also have a material 
adverse impact on the cost, profitability, ability to finance or even the viability of an oper-
ation. Such events could lead to disputes with national or local governments or with local 
communities or any other stakeholders and give rise to material reputational damage. If 
Glencore’s operations are delayed or shut down as a result of political and community 
instability, its earnings may be constrained and the long-term value of its business could 
be adversely impacted. Even in cases where no action adverse to Glencore is actually 
taken, the uncertainty associated with such political or community instability could nega-
tively impact the perceived value of Glencore’s assets and industrial investments and, 
consequently, have a material adverse effect on Glencore’s financial condition.

mItIgatIon: Glencore believes that the best way to manage these vital relationships 
is to adhere to the principles of open dialogue and co-operation and in doing so it 
engages with local communities to present and demonstrate the positve communal 
attributes of Glencore’s local operations and ensure that appropriate measures are 
taken to prevent or mitigate possible adverse effects on them, along with the regular 
reporting of such.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  33

Employees

The  maintenance  of  positive  employee 
and union relations and the ability to at-
tract and retain skilled workers are key to 
the success of Glencore. 

Health, safety and environment 

Glencore’s  operations  are  subject  to 
health,  safety  and  environmental  regula-
tions and legislation along with complying 
with  Glencore’s  corporate  sustainability 
framework (Glencore Corporate Practice). 

Impact: Some of Glencore’s employees, as well as employees in non-controlled indus-
trial  investments,  are  represented  by  labour  unions  under  various  collective  labour 
agreements. Glencore or the industrial investments in which it holds an interest may 
not be able to satisfactorily renegotiate its collective labour agreements when they 
expire  and  may  face  tougher  negotiations  or  higher  wage  demands  than  would  be 
the case for non-unionised labour. In addition, existing labour agreements may not 
prevent a strike or work stoppage at its facilities in the future, and any strike or other 
work stoppage could have a material adverse effect on Glencore’s business, results of 
operations and financial condition. 

The success of Glencore’s business is also dependent on its ability to attract and re-
tain highly effective marketing and logistics personnel as well as highly qualified and 
skilled  engineers  and  other  industrial,  technical  and  project  experts  to  operate  its 
industrial activities in locations experiencing political or civil unrest, or in which they 
may be exposed to other hazardous conditions. Glencore may not be able to attract 
and retain such qualified personnel and this could have a material adverse effect on 
Glencore’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

mItIgatIon: Glencore understands that one of the key factors in its success is a good 
and trustworthy relationship with its people. This priority is reflected in the principles 
of its corporate practice and its related guidance, which require regular, open, fair and 
respectful communication, zero tolerance for human rights violations, fair remunera-
tion and, above all, a safe working environment.

Impact: New or amended environmental, health and safety legislation or regulations 
may result in increased operating costs or, in the event of non compliance or accidents 
or incidents causing personal injury or death or property or environmental damage at 
or to Glencore’s mines, smelters, refineries, concentrators, drill rigs or related facilities 
(such as logistics and storage facilities) or surrounding areas may result in significant 
losses, interruptions in production, expensive litigation, imposition of penalties and 
sanctions or suspension or revocation of permits and licences, even in cases where 
such hazards have been caused by any previous or subsequent owners or operators 
of the property, by any past or present owners of adjacent properties, by independ-
ent third party contractors providing services to Glencore or by acts of vandalism by 
trespassers. Any such losses, withdrawals, suspensions, actions or payments may have 
a material adverse effect on Glencore’s business, results of operations and financial 
condition.

mItIgatIon:  Glencore  is  committed  to  comply  with  or  exceed  the  laws,  regulations 
and best practice guidelines applicable to its operations and products in the jurisdic-
tions  in  which  it  operates  and  through  its  extensive  compliace  program,  including 
continuous monitoring of legislative requirements and engagement with government 
and regulators, it strives to ensure full compliance.

34  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

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  |  Annual Report 2011  |  35

Business  
review

2 | Business review 

  2.1 | Financial review 
  2.2 | Metals and minerals  
  2.3 | Energy products 
  2.4 | Agricultural products 
  2.5 | Reserves and resources 

38
48
58 
64
68

2.1 | Financial review

BASIS OF PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION

The financial information has been prepared on a basis as outlined in note 1 of the financial statements. It 
is  presented  in  the  Overview  and  the  Financial  review  sections  before  significant  items  unless  otherwise 
stated  to  provide  an  enhanced  understanding  and  comparative  basis  of  the  underlying  financial  perfor-
mance. Significant items are items of income and expense which, due to their financial impact and nature or 
the expected infrequency of the events giving rise to them, are separated for internal reporting and analysis 
of Glencore’s results.

PERFORMANCE HIgHLIgHTS

US $ million

2011

2010

Change

Key statement of income and cash flows highlights:
Revenue 

186 152

144 978

Adjusted EBITDA 

Adjusted EBIT 
Glencore net income pre significant items 2
Income before attribution

Earnings per share (Basic) (US $)

Funds from operations (FFO) 

6 464

5 398

4 060

4 268

0.72

3 522

6 201

5 290

3 799

4 106

0.35

3 333

28%

4%

2%

7%

4%

106%

6%

US $ million

2011

2010

Change

Key financial position highlights:
Total assets

Glencore shareholders’ funds ¹

Net debt 

Current capital employed (CCE) ¹

Ratios:
Adjusted current ratio ¹

FFO to Net debt

Net debt to Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA to net interest

¹  Refer to glossary on page 158 for definitions and calculations.
2  Refer to page 41.

86 165

29 265

12 938

22 479

1.53x

27.2%

2.00x

7.63x

79 787

19 613

14 756

19 588

1.26x

22.6%

2.38x

6.91x

8%

49%

– 12%

15%

21%

20%

– 16%

10%

38  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

 
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

RESuLTS

Adjusted EBIT increased 2% to $ 5,398 million in 2011 compared to 2010. The 2011 results benefited from 
generally higher average prices for the key commodities Glencore produces and mostly greater volumes 
handled by our marketing groups, tempered by the marked decline in agricultural marketing performance. 
Nonetheless, the Group’s large scale, vertically integrated business model, spanning a diverse commodity 
portfolio, served to underpin a modest overall rise in Group profitability.

Adjusted EBIT
Adjusted EBIT by business segment is as follows: 

US $ million

Metals and minerals

Energy products

Agricultural products

Corporate and other ¹

Total

Marketing 
activities

Industrial 
activities

2011
 Adjusted  
EBIT

Marketing 
activities

Industrial 
activities

2010
Adjusted  
EBIT

1 242

697

– 8

– 20

1 911

1 357

375

– 39

1 794

3 487

2 599

1 072

– 47

1 774

48%

20%

– 1%

33%

5 398 100%

1 401

450

659

– 173

2 337

1 160

235

58

1 500

2 953

2 561

685

717

1 327

48%

13%

14%

25%

5 290 100%

¹  Corporate industrial activities include $ 1,893 million (2010: $ 1,729 million) of Glencore’s equity accounted share of 

Xstrata’s income. 

Marketing Adjusted EBIT declined by 18% to $ 1,911 million in 2011, primarily due to the underperformance 
of our agricultural products division largely associated with the unprecedented volatility and disruption in 
the cotton market.

Industrial Adjusted EBIT was up by 18% to $ 3,487 million in 2011, benefiting from generally stronger com-
modity prices and increased production at many operations, as ongoing expansionary plans are progressed. 

The  metals  and  minerals  segment  Adjusted  EBIT  increased  slightly  to  $  2,599  million,  with  17%  growth 
in the industrial asset portfolio, driven by stronger metal prices and increased production, offsetting an   
11% decline in marketing contribution. The latter was due to lower profits from the ferroalloys and zinc/
copper departments which benefited in 2010 from strong physical purchasing and restocking fundamentals 
while overall firm physical premia and volumes were maintained during 2011.

The largest increase in Adjusted EBIT in 2011 was from the energy segment, up 56% to $ 1,072 million, pri-
marily due to the stronger oil market fundamentals during the first half of the year. Increased coal volumes 
from Prodeco and commencement of oil production at the Aseng field in Q4 2011 accounted for the 60% 
increase in industrial energy EBIT contribution to $ 375 million.

The agricultural products segment had a negative Adjusted EBIT of $ 47 million in 2011, compared to a con-
tribution of $ 717 million in 2010. The year-on-year decline was significantly impacted by the cotton activities, 
where extreme market volatility produced an outcome of ineffective hedging due to the dislocation of physi-
cal and paper markets and high levels of physical contractual non-performance by suppliers and customers. 

Our agricultural asset portfolio is currently in a phase of considerable targeted expansion and development, 
which is expected to translate into enhanced scale and performance going forward. The 2011 result, in large 
part, reflects the current negative biodiesel production margin environment in Europe. 

Corporate and other primarily relates to the Group’s equity accounted interest in Xstrata and the variable 
pool bonus accrual, the net result of which increased from $ 1,327 million to $ 1,774 million. Xstrata accounted 
for $ 164 million (up 10%) of this improvement, with overhead reduction accounting for the balance.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  39

 
Revenue
Revenue  for  the  year  ended  31  December  2011  was  $  186,152  million,  a  28%  increase  compared  to 
$ 144,978 million in 2010. The increase is primarily due to higher average commodity prices for most of the 
commodities which the Group produces and markets. Higher year-on-year average prices were notable in 
crude oil (39% for Brent), copper (17%), wheat (22%) and gold (28%) however, given the relatively high contri-
bution of Glencore’s oil business to Group revenue, the increase in average oil prices is the largest driver of 
the total revenue increase over the period.

Cost of goods sold
Cost  of  goods  sold  for  the  year  ended  31  December  2011  was  $ 181,938 million,  a  30%  increase  from 
$ 140,467 million in the year ended 31 December 2010. This increase was primarily due to the higher com-
modity prices noted above and the resulting impact on the purchases of the respective commodities. 

Selling and administrative expenses 
Selling and administrative expenses for the year ended 31 December 2011 were $ 857 million, a 19% reduc-
tion from $ 1,063 million in 2010, primarily due to lower variable employee compensation charges.

Share of income from associates and jointly controlled entities 
Share of income from associates and jointly controlled entities for the year ended 31 December 2011 was 
$ 1,972 million, a 8% increase from $ 1,829 million in 2010. The improvement is primarily due to the higher 
earnings flow-through from Xstrata, supported by an increasing contribution from Mutanda. 

Other expense – net 
Net other expense for 2011 was $ 511 million, compared to $ 8 million in 2010. The net amount in 2011 primar-
ily comprised $ 344 million of expenses related to Glencore’s listing, a $ 92 million of mark-to-market loss in 
respect of various minority holdings in listed companies, $ 63 million related to final costs associated with 
the settlement of the Prodeco option and $ 32 million of asset impairments. 

Interest income
Interest income for the year ended 31 December 2011 was $ 339 million, a 21% increase over 2010. Interest 
income  includes  interest  earned  on  various  loans  extended,  including  to  companies  within  the  Russneft 
Group which primarily accounted for the overall increase compared to the prior year.

Interest expense
Interest expense for the year ended 31 December 2011 was $ 1,186 million, a 3% decline from $ 1,217 million  
in 2010, or flat, when taking into account $ 39 million of capitalised borrowing costs written off in 2010. 

Interest expense on floating rate debt decreased by $ 40 million to $ 511 million from $ 551 million (excluding 
significant items) over 2011. Floating rate debt is predominantly used to fund fast turning and liquid working 
capital, the funding cost of which is taken into account in transactional pricing and terms and accordingly 
sought to be “recovered” in Adjusted EBIT of our marketing activities.

Interest expense on fixed rate funding was $ 675 million in 2011, an increase of $ 48 million over 2010. The net 
increase is due to the Eurobond and Swiss Franc bond issuances in March 2010 and October 2010/January 
2011. 

Income taxes
A net income tax credit of $ 264 million was recognised during the year ended 31 December 2011 compared 
to an expense of $ 234 million for the year ended 31 December 2010. The 2011 credit resulted primarily from 
the recognition of substantial tax benefits that were crystallised following the reorganisation of the Glencore 
Group as part of the Listing. It has been Glencore’s historical experience that its effective tax rate pre signifi-
cant items on pre-tax income, excluding share of income from associates and jointly controlled entities and 
dividend income has been 10% as illustrated in the table below. Following the Listing related Restructuring 
which crystallised significant available future tax benefits as noted above, it is expected that the future effec-
tive tax rate will increase relative to the past as going forward, old structure employee shareholder payments 
will no longer be available to offset marketing related taxable income.

40  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Earnings
A summary of the differences between Adjusted EBIT and Glencore net income, including significant items, 
is set out below:

US $ million

Adjusted EBIT 
Net finance costs

Net other items ¹

Income tax expense 

Non controlling interests 

Glencore net income pre significant items
Earnings per share (Basic) pre significant items (US $)

Other expense – net ¹

  Mark to market movements on investments held for trading 

  Mark to market valuation of certain coal forward contracts 

  Listing related expenses 

  Net gain on restructured Russneft interests 

  Net impairment (charge)/reversal

  Prodeco call option expense 

  Impairment of non current inventory 

  Gain on revaluation of Vasilkovskoye Gold 

  Other

Write off of capitalised borrowing costs ²

Net gain/(loss) on disposal on investments

Net deferred tax asset recorded – mainly Listing/Restructuring benefits ³
Share of Associates’ exceptional items 4
Non controlling interest portion of significant items 5

Total significant items
Attribution to hybrid and ordinary profit participation shareholders

Income attributable to equity holders
Earnings per share (Basic) (US $)

2011

2010

5 398
– 847

– 5

– 250

– 236

4 060
0.72

– 92

25

– 344

0

– 6

– 63

– 26

0

0

0

9

514

– 45

16

– 12
0

4 048
0.72

5 290
– 897

– 152

– 234

– 208

3 799
1.02

0

– 790

0

46

674

– 225

0

462

– 23

– 39

– 6

0

0

– 147

– 48
– 2 460

1 291
0.35

¹  Recognised within other expense – net, see note 3 of the financial statements.
²  Recognised within interest expense. 
3  Recognised within income tax credit/(expense), see note 4 of the financial statements.
4  Recognised within share of income from associates and jointly controlled entities, see note 2 of the financial statements.
5  Recognised within non controlling interests.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  41

 
SIgNIFICANT ITEMS

Significant items are items of income and expense which, due to their financial impact and nature or the 
expected infrequency of the events giving rise to them, are separated for internal reporting and analysis 
of Glencore’s results to provide a better understanding and comparative basis of the underlying financial 
performance. 

In 2011, Glencore recognised $ 12 million of significant expenses which comprised a positive $ 25 million 
(2010: negative $ 790 million) of mark to market adjustments associated with certain fixed price forward coal 
sales contracts relating to Prodeco’s future production that did not qualify for “own use” or cash flow hedge 
accounting, $ 92 million of negative mark to mark adjustments on interests in other investments classified 
as held for trading and carried at fair value, with Glencore’s interest in Century Aluminum Company cash 
settled equity swaps, Volcan Compania Minera S.A.A. and Nyrstar N.V. accounting for the majority of such 
movements, and $ 344 million of expenses related to the Listing of Glencore. These expenses were largely 
offset by the recognition of $ 514 million of net tax credits relating primarily to certain income tax deduc-
tions that were crystallised, following the reorganisation of Glencore prior to Listing. See notes 3 and 4 of the 
financial statements for additional details.

The net amount for 2010 included $ 225 million of Prodeco call option expenses, offset by $ 674 million of im-
pairment reversals following the rebound in market conditions and underlying valuation assumptions. 2010 
also included a $ 462 million gain ($ 315 million, net of non controlling interests) related to the revaluation of 
the initial 40% interest in Vasilkovskoye Gold immediately prior to the acquisition of the remaining 60% inter-
est in February 2010. See note 3 of the financial statements for additional details.

LIquIdITy ANd CAPITAL RESOuRCES – CASH FLOw

Cash generated by operating activities before working capital changes
Net cash generated by operating activities before working capital changes in the year ended 31 December 
2011 was $ 4,101 million, a decrease of $ 133 million (3%) compared to 2010 or up 5% pre significant items, 
taking into account $ 325 million of relevant Listing/Restructuring related expenses incurred during the year. 
The pre significant items increase is consistent with the improved earnings. 

Working capital changes
Net working capital increased by $ 3,174 million during the year ended 31 December 2011 compared to an 
increase of $ 2,998 million in 2010. Much of the 2011 increase occurred in December 2011 alone ($ 2.4 billion), 
as Glencore was presented with highly attractive ‘funded’ commodity sourcing opportunities. Most of this 
working capital investment is temporary in nature and is expected to reverse during H1 2012. 

Net cash used by investing activities
Net cash used by investing activities was $ 3,690 million in 2011 compared to $ 4,755 million in 2010. The net 
outflow in 2011 primarily related to the continued capital expenditure programs in respect of Vasilkovskoye 
Gold’s production ramp up, the various West African upstream oil development projects, the development 
of the Mutanda copper/cobalt mine and production expansion at Katanga and Prodeco. In addition, a few 
bolt on investments were progressed, including securing a 31.2% interest in Optimum Coal and 43.7% of 
Umcebo  Coal  as  well  as  increasing  various  existing  equity  related  holdings,  including  in  Volcan,  Century 
Aluminum and Minara Resources. The 2010 net outflow included the $ 2,000 million base amount in relation 
to the exercise of the Prodeco call option.

Net cash generated by financing activities
During 2011, in addition to regular bank and bond financing activities, Glencore refinanced the $ 2.8 billion 
($ 2.3 billion drawn) bank loans secured by Xstrata shares with new 2 year $ 2.7 billion equivalent facilities and 
raised $ 7.6 billion net of issue costs via equity offerings on the London and Hong Kong stock exchanges.

42  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

ASSETS, LEVERAgE ANd wORKINg CAPITAL

Total  assets  were  $ 86,165 million  as  at  31  December  2011  compared  to  $ 79,787 million  as  at  31  Decem-
ber 2010. Over the same time period current assets increased from $ 44,296 million to $ 45,731 million. The 
adjusted current ratio at 31 December 2011 was 1.53 compared to 1.26 at 31 December 2010. This improve-
ment is attributable to the refinancing of the Xstrata secured bank loans and the resulting reclassification 
from  current  to  non  current  borrowings,  the  repayment  of  various  ‘re-drawable’  short  term  facilities  and 
the investment in working capital as noted above. Non current assets increased from $ 35,491 million as at 
31 December 2010 to $ 40,434 million as at 31 December 2011, primarily due to the capital expenditure pro-
grams noted above and the equity accounting pick-up of our share of Xstrata’s earnings. 

Consistent with 31 December 2010, 99% ($ 13,785 million) of total marketing inventories were contractually 
sold or hedged (readily marketable inventories) at 31 December 2011. These inventories are readily convert-
ible into cash due to their liquid nature, widely available markets, and the fact that any associated price risk 
is covered either by a physical sale transaction or a hedge transaction on a commodity exchange or with a 
highly rated counterparty. Given the highly liquid nature of these inventories, which represent a significant 
share of current assets, Glencore believes it is appropriate to consider them together with cash equivalents 
in analysing Group net debt levels and computing certain debt coverage ratios and credit trends. Balance 
sheet liquidity is very healthy such that current capital employed plus liquid stakes in listed associates (at 
book carrying value) covers 143% of Glencore’s total gross debt as at 31 December 2011. 

Net debt

US $ million

Borrowings

Commodities sold with agreements to repurchase

Gross debt
Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities

Net funding
Readily marketable inventories

Net debt

2011

2010

28 029

39

28 068
– 1 345

26 723
– 13 785

12 938

30 132

484

30 616
– 1 529

29 087
– 14 331

14 756

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  43

Movement in net debt

US $ million

Cash generated by operating activities before working capital changes

Listing related cash expenses included in number above (via statement of income)

Net interest paid

Tax paid

Dividends received from associates

Funds from operations

Non current advances and loans

Acquisition of subsidiaries

Purchase and sale of investments

Purchase and sale of property, plant and equipment

Working capital changes, excluding readily marketable inventory movements  
and other

Share issuance, net of issue costs and Listing related cash expenses included in 
the statement of income (see above)

Acquisition of additional interest in subsidiaries

Dividends paid

Cash movement in net debt
Debt assumed in business combination

Foreign currency revaluation of non current borrowings and other non cash items

Profit participation certificates redemptions

Non cash movement in net debt

Total movement in net debt
Net debt, beginning of period

Net debt, end of period

2011

2010

4 101

325

– 798

– 472

366

3 522

– 320

– 350

– 760

– 2 626

4 234

0

– 802

– 323

224

3 333

– 825

– 624

– 2 060

– 1 470

– 3 720

– 1 640

7 291

– 315

– 364

2 358
– 204

– 68

– 268

– 540

1 818
– 14 756

– 12 938

0

– 75

– 30

– 3 391
– 745

70

– 504

– 1 179

– 4 570
– 10 186

– 14 756

Net debt as at 31 December 2011 decreased to $ 12,398 million from $ 14,756 million as at 31 December 2010, 
with the proceeds raised from the Listing extensively deployed in progressing the Group’s key capex and 
development  programs  (Prodeco,  Oil  Exploration  and  Production  and  Mutanda),  securing  a  selection  of 
new investments and stake-building in existing holdings and short term funding of non readily marketable 
inventory working capital. 

The ratio of Net debt to Adjusted EBITDA improved from 2.38 times in 2010 to 2.00 times as at 31 December 
2011, while the ratio of FFO to Net debt improved from 22.6% in 2010 to 27.2% in 2011.

CAPITAL RESOuRCES ANd FINANCINg

During the year ended 31 December 2011, the following notable financing activities took place:

•  In January, Glencore issued additional 5 year, 3.625% CHF 225 million ($ 235 million) bonds; 
•  In February and August, Glencore redeemed the $ 700 million 8% Perpetual bonds at par;
•  In May, Glencore replaced the previous 364 day $ 1,375 million and $ 515 million committed revolving cred-
it facilities with two new 364 day committed revolving credit facilities for $ 2,925 million and $ 610 million 
respectively, both with a one year term extension option at Glencore’s discretion. In addition, Glencore 
extended the final maturity of $ 8,340 million of the $ 8,370 million medium term revolver for a further year 
to May 2014. In aggregate, the new facilities represent an overall increase in committed available liquidity 
of $ 1,645 million;

•  In May, Glencore International plc was admitted to trading on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchang-
es in what was the largest ever IPO of ordinary shares on the premium listing segment of the London Stock 
Exchange and the first simultaneous London primary and Hong Kong secondary IPO. The offer represent-
ed 16.94% of Glencore International plc’s post-IPO issued share capital and raised a net $ 7,291 million; and 
•  In June, Glencore refinanced the $ 2.8 billion ($ 2.3 billion drawn) facilities secured by Xstrata shares with 

new 2 year $ 2.7 billion equivalent facilities.

44  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Glencore’s main refinancing requirements over the next twelve months relate to a few secured borrowing 
base  working  capital   facilities  which  ordinarily  require  extension/renewal  each  year.  However,  these  tend 
to be routine given the underlying strong collateral and their modest amounts in the context of our over-
all balance sheet and funding/liquidity levels. As at 31 December 2011, Glencore had available committed 
undrawn credit facilities and cash amounting to $ 6.8 billion (as a financial policy, Glencore has a $ 3 billion 
minimum threshold requirement). 

Value at risk (VaR)
One of the tools used by Glencore to monitor and limit its primary market risk exposure, namely commodity 
price risk related to its physical marketing activities, is the use of a VaR computation. VaR is a risk measure-
ment technique which estimates the potential loss that could occur on risk positions as a result of move-
ments in risk factors over a specified time horizon, given a specific level of confidence. The VaR methodology 
is a statistically defined, probability based approach that takes into account market volatilities, as well as risk 
diversification by recognising offsetting positions and correlations between commodities and markets. In 
this way, risks can be measured consistently across all markets and commodities and risk measures can be 
aggregated to derive a single risk value. Glencore has set a consolidated VaR limit (1 day 95%) of $ 100 million 
representing less than 0.5% of Glencore shareholders’ funds.

Glencore uses a VaR approach based on Monte Carlo simulations and is computed at a 95% confidence level 
with a weighted data history using a combination of a one day and one week time horizon.

Average market risk VaR (1 day 95%) during the year ended 31 December 2011 was $ 39 million (2010: $ 43 mil-
lion), representing a modest 0.1% of shareholders’  equity.

Whilst it is Glencore’s policy to substantially hedge its commodity price risks, there remains the possibility 
that the hedging instruments chosen may not always provide effective mitigation of the underlying price 
risk.  The  hedging  instruments  available  to  the  marketing  businesses  may  differ  in  specific  characteristics 
to the risk exposure to be hedged, resulting in an ongoing and unavoidable basis risk exposure. Residual 
basis risk exposures represent a key focus point for Glencore’s commodity department teams who actively 
engage in the management of such. 

Credit ratings
In light of our extensive funding activities, investment grade ratings are of utmost importance to us. Follow-
ing the Xstrata merger and Viterra acquisition announcements, Glencore’s current credit ratings are Baa2 
(review with direction uncertain) from Moody’s and BBB (watch positive) from S&P. 

Dividend
The Directors have proposed a 2011 final dividend of $ 0.10 per share, amounting to $ 692 million. The interim 
dividend of $ 0.05 per share, amounting to $ 346 million, was paid on 30 September 2011.

Dividend dates

Annual General Meeting
Ex-dividend date (UK and Hong Kong)

Last time for lodging transfers in Hong Kong

Record date in Hong Kong

Record date in UK

Deadline for return of currency election form (Jersey shareholders)

Applicable exchange rate date

Payment date

2012

9 May
16 May

4:30 pm (HK) 17 May

Opening of business (HK) 18 May

Close of business (UK) 18 May

21 May

25 May

1 June

Shareholders on the Jersey register, may elect to receive the dividend in Sterling, Euro or Swiss Franc. The 
Sterling,  Euro  or  Swiss  Franc  amount  will  be  determined  by  reference  to  the  exchange  rates  applicable  to 
the U.S. Dollar seven days prior to the dividend payment date. Shareholders on the Hong Kong branch reg-
ister will receive their dividends in Hong Kong Dollars. Further details on dividend payments, together with 
currency  election  and  dividend  mandate  forms,  are  available  from  Glencore’s  website  (www.glencore.com) 
or from the Company’s Registrars. The Directors have proposed that the final dividend will be paid out of 
capital contribution reserves. As such, the final dividend would be exempt from Swiss withholding tax.   
As at 31 December 2011, Glencore International plc had CHF 14.4 billion of such capital contribution reserves 
in its statutory accounts.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  45

Notional allocation of debt and interest expense
Glencore’s indebtedness is primarily arranged centrally, with the proceeds then applied to marketing and 
industrial activities as required. 

Glencore does not allocate borrowings or interest to its three operating segments. However, to assist inves-
tors in the assessment of overall performance and underlying value contributors of its integrated business 
model, Glencore notionally allocates its  borrowings and interest expense between its marketing and indus-
trial activities as follows:

•  At a particular point in time, Glencore estimates the borrowings attributable to funding key working capital 
items within the marketing activities, including inventories, net cash margining and other accounts receiv-
able/payable, through the application of an appropriate loan to value ratio for each item. The balance of 
Group borrowings is allocated to industrial activities (including Glencore’s stake in Xstrata).

•  Once the average amount of borrowings notionally allocated to marketing activities for the relevant period 
has been estimated, the corresponding interest expense on those borrowings is estimated by applying the 
Group’s average variable rate cost of funds during the relevant period to the average borrowing amount. 
The balance of Group interest expense and all interest income is allocated to industrial activities. The al-
location is a company estimate only and is unaudited. The table below summarises the notional allocation 
of borrowings and interest and corresponding implied earnings before tax of the marketing and industrial 
activities for the year ended 31 December 2011.

US $ million

Adjusted EBIT

Interest expense allocation

Interest income allocation

Allocated profit before tax
Allocated borrowings 1 – 31 December 2011
Allocated borrowings 1 – quarterly average

¹  Includes commodities sold with agreement to repurchase.

Marketing
 activities

Industrial
 activities

1 911

– 295

–

1 616
14 247

13 161

3 487

– 891

339

2 935
13 821

14 703

Total

5 398

– 1 186

339

4 551
28 068

27 864

Based on the implied equity funding for the marketing activities’ working capital requirements, as well as 
the relatively modest level of non current assets employed in the marketing activities (assumed to be equity 
funded), the return on notional equity for the marketing activities continued to be very healthy in 2011. The 
industrial activities’ return on notional equity, although respectable, is being held back by mostly mid stage 
oil, copper, coal and gold development and expansion projects, where significant investments have been 
made to date, however the projects did not contribute to earnings in the year at anywhere near where their 
full production potential is expected to be.

46  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

SuBSEquENT EVENTS AFFECTINg OuR FINANCIAL POSITION

•  On 7 February 2012, Glencore announced its intention to acquire an additional 37.5% stake in Chemoil for 

cash consideration of $ 174 million. The transaction is expected to close in Q2 2012.

•  On 7 February 2012, the Glencore Directors and the Independent Xstrata Directors announced that they 
had reached an agreement on the terms of a recommended all-share merger (the “Merger”) of equals of 
Glencore and Xstrata to create a unique $ 90 billion natural resources group. The terms of the Merger pro-
vide Xstrata shareholders with 2.8 newly issued shares in Glencore for each Xstrata share held. The Merger 
is to be effected by way of a Court sanctioned scheme of arrangement of Xstrata under Part 26 of the UK 
Companies Act, pursuant to which Glencore will acquire the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share 
capital of Xstrata not already owned by the Glencore Group. The Merger is subject to shareholder, anti-
trust and regulatory approvals.

•  On 14 March 2012, Glencore received the applicable regulatory approvals to complete the acquisition of 
an additional 28.5% interest in Optimum as originally agreed. See note 22 of the financial statements for 
more information.

•  On 20 March 2012, Glencore signed a definitive agreement pursuant to which it has agreed to acquire all 
of the issued and outstanding shares of Viterra for CAD 16.25 per share in cash by way of a court approved 
plan of arrangement. The transaction values Viterra’s equity at approximately CAD 6.1 billion on a fully di-
luted basis. At the same time, Glencore has entered into agreements with each of Agrium and Richardson 
International which provide for the sale of certain assets of Viterra including assets which comprise a major-
ity of Viterra’s Canadian operations for a total cash consideration of CAD 2.6 billion, subject to specified 
purchase price adjustments, including payment for working capital. Completion of the transaction is sub-
ject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of court, shareholder and regulatory approvals and 
the absence of material adverse change. The transaction is expected to close during third quarter of 2012.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  47

2.2 | Metals and minerals

“2011 was a solid year for the metals and minerals  segment. 
The business benefited from meaningful production growth 
from its industrial activities and is well placed for contin-
ued strong growth, particularly from the African Copper-
belt assets.”

Daniel Maté, Telis Mistakidis

Highlights
Metals and minerals’ total Adjusted EBIT in 2011 was $ 2.6 billion, 2% higher than in the 
prior year, driven by a stronger performance from the industrial activities.

Metals and minerals’ marketing activities delivered consistent results over the course 
of 2011 generating Adjusted EBIT of $ 1.2 billion, 11% lower than in 2010. Overall firm 
physical premia and volumes were sustained during the year.

Metals and minerals’ industrial activities Adjusted EBIT performance increased by 17% 
compared to 2010, driven by higher average prices in 2011 (partially offset by higher 
operating costs) and increased production at many of our operations as they progress 
their ongoing expansionary plans.

Outlook
Looking  ahead,  we  expect  demand  in  the  metals’  markets  in  which  we  operate  to 
increase gradually as the global economy continues its modest recovery. This is sup-
portive for our marketing business.

We expect to achieve continued strong growth in industrial production, particularly 
from the African Copperbelt assets and gold at Kazzinc.

Adjusted EBIT

3 000

2 500

n 2 000
o

i
l
l
i

m
$
S
U

1 500

1 000

500

0

2009

2010

2011

Marketing activities
Industrial activities

2009 2010 2011
553 1 401  1 242 
498 1 160  1 357 

Marketing activities

T
M
k

l

,
t
n
e
a
v
i
u
q
e
u
C

6 000

5 000

4 000

3 000

2 000

1 000

0

2009

2010

2011

Volumes

2009 2010 2011
5 616 5 801 5 652

Industrial activities

1 000

T 800
M
k

l

,
t
n
e
a
v
i
u
q
e
u
C

600

400

200

0

2009

2010

2011

Volumes

2009 2010 2011
783
692

511

48  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

US $ million

Revenue

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBIT

Adjusted EBITDA margin (%)
Allocated average CE 1
Adjusted EBIT return on average CE 

Marketing 
activities

Industrial 
activities

43 317

1 247

1 242

3%

7 746

16%

8 667

2 122

1 357

24%

15 108

9%

2011

51 984

3 369

2 599

–

22 854

11%

Marketing 
activities

Industrial 
activities

37 889

1 401

1 401

4%

7 018

20%

7 322

1 868

1 160

26%

12 208

10%

2010

45 211

3 269

2 561

– 

19 226

13%

1  The simple average of segment current and non current capital employed (see note 2 of the financial statements), adjusted for production 

related inventories, is applied as a proxy for marketing and industrial activities respectively.

MARKET CONdITIONS

Selected average commodity prices

S&P GSCI Industrial Metals Index

LME (cash) zinc price ($/t)

LME (cash) copper price ($/t)

LME (cash) lead price ($/t)

Gold price ($/oz)

Metal Bulletin alumina price ($/t)

LME (cash) aluminium price ($/t)

LME (cash) nickel price ($/t)

Metal Bulletin cobalt price 99.3% ($/lb)

Iron ore (Platts 62% CFR North China) price ($/DMT)

Currency table

AUD : USD

USD : COP

EUR : USD

GBP : USD

USD : CHF
USD : KZT

USD : ZAR

2010

Change 

2011

440

2 193

8 813

2 397

1 573

374

2 398

393

2 159

7 543 

2 147

1 227

332

2 173

22 843

21 811

16

169

18

147

12%

2%

17%

12%

28%

13%

10%

5%

– 11%

15%

Average
2011 

Spot
31 Dec 2011

Average 
2010 

Spot
31 Dec 2010

Change in  
average prices

1.03

1 848

1.39

1.60

0.89
147

7.26

1.02

1 939

1.30

1.55

0.94
148

8.09

0.92

1 897

1.33

1.55

1.04
147

7.32

1.02

1 908

1.34

1.56

0.94
147

6.63

12%

– 3%

5%

3%

– 14%
0%

– 1%

Metal  prices  generally  increased  over  2011  compared  to  2010  with  the  GSCI  Industrial  Metals  Index  increasing  by  12%  from 
 December 2010 to December 2011. However, with the exception of aluminium, base metals prices were on average 10% –15% lower 
in H2 2011 compared to H1 2011, which reflected increased investor and end user caution on the global growth outlook.

2011 was impacted by various macro events, such as the nuclear accident in Japan, social upheavals in North Africa and the Middle 
East and the ongoing sovereign debt crisis in Europe. The pressures on equity and debt markets, driven by the financial uncertain-
ties, had a knock-on effect on commodity markets, where prices decreased and demand weakened.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  49

 
Zinc/Copper/Lead
2011 markets were particularly characterised by supply disruptions and continuing decline in mine ore grades. Chile, which pro-
duces around one third of the world’s copper, saw its year on year production fall by 3.2%, while production from Indonesia was 
severely impacted by the more than three month strike at the Grasberg mine. Production declined on an outright basis and is ex-
pected to continue to do so well into 2012 until the production cycle from ore to metal is re-established. This lack of supply growth 
explains the relative strength in prices witnessed in the face of weak demand in Europe and USA. Lack of new production is also 
relevant for zinc, though with China not being a net importer, zinc metal prices were relatively weaker.

The second half was dominated by reactions to the European financial crisis, in terms of price volatility on the terminal markets 
and consumer behaviour and purchasing patterns. Inventories in China had declined from the high levels since the purchases in 
2009 and 2010 when prices were lower. Inventories in the US and Europe, which had seen major drawdowns since 2009, had not 
been rebuilt amid the uncertainty over Europe and were in fact cut even further throughout 2011 and remain that way. Chinese 
buyers on the other hand, have used price weakness in the fourth quarter to purchase large amounts of metal for nearby delivery 
and rebuild the inventory pipeline to a more ‘normal’ level, particularly for copper. We also saw the first signs of demand strength 
in the US during Q4 2011, most evident in the automobile sector where production was ramped up, following the supply chain 
disruptions in Japan and Thailand. There has been good consumer demand for zinc although purchasing was for current demand 
with no emphasis on restocking.

Alumina/Aluminium
The above mentioned market disruptions added complexity to the alumina/aluminium business, which created several profitable 
transaction opportunities that allowed the department to maintain a robust and profitable base in 2011.

The more recent decline in prices has increased producer margin pressure with many no longer able to cover their production cost. 
Indications for aluminium premiums for duty unpaid, in-warehouse material at the beginning of 2011 were $ 110 – 135 per tonne, 
with an average 2011 range of approximately $ 110 – 130 per tonne and a more recent level of $ 95 – 120 per tonne. Investor demand 
for physical metal, supported by wide contangos, has kept overall physical markets reasonably balanced. 

Ferroalloys/Nickel/Cobalt/Iron Ore 
The global stainless steel industry experienced a continued slowdown in H2 2011, due to interalia destocking in all markets across 
the distribution chain. Other ferroalloy consuming industries such as aerospace, automotive, oil and gas and plating remained 
strong throughout the second half. 

The 2011 cobalt price was lower (11%) compared to 2010. The main reasons were (i) overstocking in the Chinese battery market, (ii) 
oversupply of producer metal and (iii) the loss of market share of Japanese battery producers (mostly due to a strong Yen). These 
factors were especially acute in Q4. Many producers reduced their inventory over year-end, based on pessimistic forecasts for  
Q1 2012 however, we believe activity will be reasonable based on strong demand in the superalloy and battery sectors.

The iron ore price initially kept at a high level due to strong Chinese crude steel production matching the increased availability 
of material however, this balance started to change around September 2011. Prices declined due to the postponement of certain 
European allocations, tighter credit availability and poor steel sales in China. These concerns led to market prices falling c. $ 60 
per DMT in a six week period to c. $ 115 per DMT at the end of October. Despite lower Chinese steel production levels, prices 
then recovered and stabilised in the $ 135 – 140 per DMT range, slightly above many marginal-cost producers’ cost of production.

MARKETINg

Highlights
Overall the 2011 result was solid albeit lower than the record 2010 performance. The decline in performance was partly due to lower 
profits from the ferroalloys and zinc/copper departments (which performed strongly in 2010 when physical purchasing and restock-
ing in Asia was particularly intensive), offset by higher volumes and profits in the aluminium/alumina department. 

Adjusted EBIT for 2011 was $ 1,242 million, compared to $ 1,401 million in 2010, a reduction of 11%.

Financial information

US $ million

Revenue

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBIT

50  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

2011

2010

Change 

43 317

1 247

1 242

37 889

1 401

1 401

14%

– 11%

– 11%

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Selected marketing volumes sold

Zinc metal and concentrates 1
Copper metal and concentrates 1
Lead metal and concentrates 1
Gold

Silver

Alumina/aluminium

Ferroalloys (incl. agency)

Nickel

Cobalt

Iron ore

1 Estimated metal unit contained.

Units

2011

2010

Change 

million MT

million MT

million MT

thousand toz

thousand toz

million MT

million MT

thousand MT

thousand MT

million MT

2.7

1.9

0.7

756

11 128

11.4

2.7

191.4

22.9

10.3

2.9

1.9

0.7

589

8 527

10.6

2.6

193.9

17.9

9.3

– 7%

–

–

28%

31%

8%

4%

– 1%

28%

11%

Zinc/Copper/Lead
2011 zinc volumes were lower at 2.7 million tonnes vs. 2.9 million tonnes in 2010, while copper and lead volumes were consistent 
between the two years. 2011 profits were lower than 2010 but remained strong. The decline was from a high base in 2010 which 
benefited from strong physical purchases and restocking in Asia.

Alumina/Aluminium
In 2011, the marketed volumes for alumina/aluminium increased to 11.4 million tonnes compared to 10.6 million tonnes in 2010, 
representing an increase of 8%. Arbitrage opportunities in aluminium were more favourable in 2011, with increased opportunities 
for inventory financing transactions and cash and carry deals. 2011 profits were higher than 2010.

Ferroalloys/Nickel/Cobalt/Iron Ore 
Chrome ore output levels from South African producers continued to ramp up during 2011, which ensured a steady increase in 
monthly volumes. 

Overall nickel volumes for all types of products remained strong and were similar to 2010 levels.

Cobalt volumes remained strong for the whole of 2011 compared with 2010 and confirmed existing trends in intermediate prod-
ucts, with a marked increase in exports.

Despite a slow start to the year due to severe supply disruptions in Canada, Brazil and Australia and the loss of supply from India 
due to the monsoon and the export ban iron ore volumes increased by 1 million tonnes in 2011 compared to 2010, mainly due to 
increased availability of spot cargos in H2 2011.

Overall profits in 2011 were slightly below 2010 levels with a mixture of positive and negative year-on-year performances within the 
various individual commodity books.

INduSTRIAL ACTIVITIES

Highlights
•  Metals and minerals’ industrial activities performance continued to improve during 2011, driven by higher average prices in 2011 

and increased production volumes at many of our operations.

•  Total industrial revenues for metals and minerals were $ 8,667 million, up 18% from $ 7,322 million in 2010. Adjusted EBITDA and 
Adjusted EBIT for 2011 were $ 2,122 million and $ 1,357 million, up 14% and 17%, compared to $ 1,868 million and $ 1,160 million 
in 2010.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  51

 
Financial information 

US $ million

Revenue
Kazzinc

Other Zinc

Zinc 
Katanga

Mopani

Other Copper

Copper

Alumina/Aluminium

Ferroalloys/Nickel/Cobalt/Iron ore

Total

Adjusted EBITDA 
Kazzinc

Other Zinc

Zinc 
Katanga

Mopani

Other Copper

Copper

Alumina/Aluminium

Ferroalloys/Nickel/Cobalt/Iron ore
Share of income from associates and dividends (includes Mutanda)

Total 

Adjusted EBITDA margin (%)

Adjusted EBIT
Kazzinc

Other Zinc

Zinc 
Katanga

Mopani

Other Copper

Copper

Alumina/Aluminium

Ferroalloys/Nickel/Cobalt/Iron ore
Share of income from associates and dividends (includes Mutanda)

Total 

Capex
Kazzinc

Other Zinc

Zinc 
Katanga

Mopani

Other Copper

Copper

Alumina/Aluminium

Ferroalloys/Nickel/Cobalt/Iron ore
Total 

52  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

2011

2010

Change 

2 262

1 029

3 291
528

1 155

2 493

4 176

520

680

8 667

862

297

1 159
198

328

219

745

60

83
75

2 122

24%

561

191

752
141

207

161

509

50

– 29
75

1 357

439

131

570
325

163

116

604

20

76
1 270

1 855

901

2 756
496

863

2 072

3 431

422

713

7 322

815

225

1 040
168

218

214

600

– 9

189
48

1 868

26%

579

115

694
109

68

179

356

– 17

79
48

1 160

350

110

460
221

130

92

443

31

67
1 001

22%

14%

19%
6%

34%

20%

22%

23%

– 5%

18%

6%

32% 

11% 
18% 

50%

2% 

24% 

n.m. 

– 56% 
56% 

14% 

– 

– 3% 

66%

8%
29% 

204%

– 10% 

43%

n.m. 

n.m. 
56% 

17% 

–

–

–
–

–

–

–

–

–
–

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Production data

thousand ¹

Kazzinc
Zinc metal

Lead metal ²

Copper metal ³

Gold

Silver

Katanga
Copper metal ³
Cobalt 4

Mutanda
Copper metal ³
Cobalt 4

Mopani
Copper metal ³
Cobalt 4

Other Zinc (Los Quenuales, Sinchi Wayra, 
AR Zinc, Portovesme)
Zinc metal

Zinc oxide

Zinc concentrates

Lead metal

Lead concentrates

Tin concentrates

Silver metal

Silver in concentrates

Other Copper (Cobar, Pasar, Punitaqui)
Copper metal

Copper concentrates

Cobalt

Silver contained

Alumina/Aluminium (Sherwin)
Alumina

Nickel/Cobalt (Murrin Murrin)
Nickel metal

Cobalt

Total Zinc contained

Total Copper  contained

Total Lead contained

Total Tin contained
Gold (incl. Gold equivalents) 5
Total Alumina

Total Nickel

Total Cobalt

MT

MT

MT

toz

toz

MT

MT

MT

MT

MT

MT

MT

DMT

DMT

MT

DMT

DMT

toz

toz

MT

DMT

MT

toz

MT

MT

MT

MT

MT

MT

MT

toz

MT

MT

MT

Using feed 
from own 
sources

Using feed 
from third 
party  
sources 

Using feed 
from own 
sources

2011
Total 

Using feed 
from third 
party  
sources

2010
Total 

Own feed 
change 

246.0

35.6 

51.2 

390 

 54.8 

66.2 

1.8 

39 

4 299 

5 571 

 91.2 

 2.4 

 63.7 

 7.9 

 – 

 – 

–

–

 300.8 

 101.8 

 53.0 

 429 

 9 870 

 91.2 

 2.4 

 63.7 

 7.9 

 101.4 

 0.6 

 103.0 

 0.3 

 204.4 

 0.9 

 30.5 

 75.5 

 461.2 

 11.9 

 61.0 

 4.7 

 754 

 7 978 

 123.2 

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 153.7 

 75.5 

 461.2 

 11.9 

 61.0 

 4.7 

 754 

 58.2 

 3.4 

 16.3 

 8.9 

 94.4 

 0.8 

 27.9 

 68.0 

 390.6 

 14.2 

 56.6 

 3.8 

 871 

 239.1 

 33.1 

 48.0 

 326 

 61.7 

 67.7 

 1.8 

 22 

 300.8 

 100.8 

 49.8 

 348 

 5 182 

 1 549 

 6 731 

3% 

8%

7%

20% 

– 17%

57%

– 29%

291%

– 11%

–

–

–

–

 58.2 

 3.4 

 16.3 

 8.9 

 103.0 

 197.4 

7%

 0.3 

 1.1 

– 25%

 116.7 

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 144.6 

 68.0 

 390.6 

 14.2 

 56.6 

 3.8 

 871 

 7 781 

 176.0 

 185.5 

–

 450 

9%

11%

18%

– 16%

8%

24%

– 13%

3%

n.m.

10%

n.m.

130%

 7 978 

 7 781 

–

 164.1 

 204.9 

–

 1 035 

–

 0.2 

–

 164.1 

 204.9 

 0.2 

 1 035 

–

 176.0 

 185.5 

–

 450 

–

–

–

–

 1 460 

 1 460 

–

 1 259 

 1 259 

n.m.

 28.5 

 1.9 

 563.1 

 362.6 

 82.5 

 2.2 

706 

–

 28.5 

 12.8 

 1.5 

 0.2 

 178.0 

 268.9 

 66.2 

–

 164 

 1 460 

 1.5 

 0.7 

 30.0 

 2.1 

 741.1 

 631.5 

 148.7 

 2.2 

 870 

 1 460 

 30.0 

 13.5 

 27.7 

 1.9 

 514.3 

 268.6 

 77.8 

 1.9 

 562 

 0.7 

 0.1 

 28.4 

 2.0 

 178.4 

 280.9 

 67.6 

–

 47 

 692.7 

 549.5 

 145.4 

 1.9 

 609 

–

 1 259 

 1 259 

 27.7 

 15.0 

 0.7 

 0.4 

 28.4 

 15.4 

3%

0%

9%

35%

6%

16%

26%

n.m.

3%

– 15%

¹  Production is included on a 100% basis. Controlled industrial assets only with the exception of Mutanda (40% owned) where Glencore has 

operational control.

² Lead metal includes lead contained in lead concentrates.
³ Copper metal includes copper contained in copper concentrates and blister copper.
4 Cobalt contained in concentrates and hydroxide.
5 Gold/Silver conversion ratio of 1/44.53 and 1/60.63 for 2011 and 2010 respectively based on average prices.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  53

 
OPERATIONS

Kazzinc (Glencore interest: 50.7%)
Zinc and lead output in 2011 was in line with 2010 production levels. Processing silver-rich Dukatsky concentrate contributed to a 
47% increase in silver production from 6.7 million toz in 2010 to 9.9 million toz in 2011. Production of gold was 429,000 toz, a 23% 
increase compared to 2010 production of 348,000 toz.

Kazzinc is near completion of its New Metallurgy project at an estimated cost of $ 926 million. The project consisted of the con-
struction of a 70,000 tonnes per annum IsaSmelt Copper smelter/refinery, a new acid plant, modernisation of the existing lead 
plant and construction of the necessary auxiliary operations.

The new copper smelter was commissioned in August 2011 with first copper cathode produced in the last few days of August 
which met all international requirements. By the end of 2011, nearly 13,000 tonnes of copper cathode had been produced at the 
Ust-Kamenogorsk copper smelter with a gradual ramp up to the 70,000 tonnes per annum design capacity expected in 2012.

Ore processing at Altyntau Kokshetau was 5.7 million tonnes in 2011, a 61% increase compared to 2010. The Altyntau mills were 
each stopped in June and July for 45 days to allow work to be completed which is expected to result in processing production 
capacity increasing to 8.0 million tonnes per annum by 2013. Reinforcement of the foundations underneath the two ball mills went 
well with both mills coming back into operation by the end of July and end of August respectively. Some gold recovery issues 
still exist despite the installation of extra fine grinding capacity during the 45 days stoppage period, which is expected to allow 
the liberation of more gold in the grinding stage and therefore increased recovery. This challenge predominantly relates to the 
extremely hard nature of the ore which makes it difficult to grind below the necessary 4 microns in order to recover the gold. As a 
result, Kazzinc failed to meet its gold production target in 2011, however gold recovery rates have recently been improving.

In April 2011, Glencore conditionally agreed to increase its stake in Kazzinc from 50.7% to 93.0% for a total transaction considera-
tion of $ 3.2 billion (consisting of the issuance of $ 1 billion of Glencore shares at its IPO price, equating to approximately 117 million 
shares, and $ 2.2 billion in cash). Glencore and the seller are currently targeting an agreed Q3 2012 completion date.

As a result of further exploration drilling and technical studies, Kazzinc significantly increased its JORC compliant mineral reserves, 
at the Vasilkovskoye, Maleevsky and Ridder-Sokolny deposits with gold up 50%, silver up 84%, copper up 136%, lead up 62% and 
zinc up 67% compared to the JORC compliant reserves outlined in the IPO prospectus adjusted for depletion during 2011 (see 
separate RNS release 5 March 2012). The effect of the higher mineral reserves has been to increase copper production, as com-
pared to the plan outlined in the IPO prospectus, from own mined sources by 76% in 2012 and 230% in 2015.

Katanga (Glencore interest: 75.2%)
Katanga’s contained copper in ore mined in 2011 amounted to 198,600 tonnes, a 51% increase compared to 2010.

Ore mined and hoisted at the KTO underground mine in 2011 was 1.6 million tonnes (at an average 3.71% copper content), an in-
crease of 23% compared to 2010, whilst ore mined at the KOV Open Pit in 2011 was 2.5 million tonnes, 249% above 2010 production 
levels. The copper grade of ore mined from the KOV Open Pit for 2011 averaged 4.98% copper content.

Ore milled at the Kamoto concentrator in 2011 amounted to 4.1 million tonnes, an increase of 40% compared to 2010. The current 
milling capacity at Kamoto of 7.7 million tonnes per annum of ore is sufficient to support the life of mine plan through to 2014.

479,900 tonnes of total concentrate were produced, representing a 58% increase compared to 2010. Katanga continued to increase 
the production of oxide concentrate for sale as a finished product. The construction of a 120,000 tonnes per annum concentrate 
filtration and bagging facility was commissioned in the third quarter of 2011.

Copper produced in metal and concentrate for 2011 totalled approximately 91,200 tonnes, an increase of 57% compared to 2010. To-
tal cobalt production in 2011 was 2,400 tonnes, 29% lower than in 2010 as a result of lower head grades in the current copper ore body.

Katanga experienced certain operational disruptions at the old existing installations during 2011. During Q4 2011, Katanga’s Board 
announced that it had approved the Updated Phase IV Expansion. This acceleration of the Phase IV will address the problems 
experienced during 2011. Consistent with the completion of the Phase III Expansion project Katanga commissioned a front end 
engineering and early works report, which identified the following key items:

•  an additional 100,000 tonnes per annum solvent extraction plant, over and above the 200,000 tonnes per annum solvent extrac-
tion (“SX”) plant described in the ITR (“Independent Technical Report”) to be constructed in front of the existing Luilu elec-
trowinning (“EW”) plant. The ITR detailed the conversion of the existing copper electrowinning facility at the Luilu refinery to a 
200,000 tonnes per annum capacity copper electrowinning facility fed by the 200,000 tonnes per annum solvent extraction plant;

54  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

•  Katanga reaching higher copper and cobalt production levels sooner than the timelines described in the ITR;
•  an increase in expansionary capital expenditures from approximately $ 537 million (as described in the ITR) to approximately 
$ 635 million due primarily to the inclusion of the additional solvent extraction plant and an in-pit crusher at KOV Open Pit; and
•  the increase of copper production to 270,000 tonnes per annum of LME Grade A copper and thereafter the expansion of copper 

production to 310,000 tonnes per annum, utilising anticipated cash flows from operating activities.

In order to expedite the commencement of the Updated Phase IV Expansion project, Katanga finalised the execution of a facility 
of up to $ 515.5 million from Glencore which will fund the portion of the project not already covered by Katanga’s existing operat-
ing cash flow.

A  further  facility  of  $  120  million  was  drawn  in  full  to  fund  the  redemption  on  30  December  2011  of  Katanga’s  outstanding 
CAD 125  million 14% debentures which otherwise would have been due for repayment on 30 November 2013.

For further information please visit www.katangamining.com 

Mutanda (Glencore interest: 40.0%)
Mutanda is accounted for as an associate under Glencore’s operational control.

Total copper production in 2011, including both cathodes and copper in concentrate, was 63,700 tonnes. Copper cathodes con-
tributed 44,000 tonnes to the year’s production which was significantly higher than the forecast of 24,000 tonnes. Total copper 
production in H2 2011 of 37,900 tonnes was 47% higher than the 25,800 tonnes in H1 2011.

Total cobalt production in 2011, including both cobalt in hydroxide and cobalt in concentrate, was 7,900 tonnes. Total cobalt pro-
duction in both concentrate and hydroxide in H2 2011 was 4,300 tonnes, an 18% increase compared to the 3,600 tonnes produced 
in H1 2011.

The Phase I Hydrometallurgical Plant achieved design capacity of 20,000 tonnes per annum of annualised copper cathode pro-
duction in January 2011. Under the Phase II project (construction of a 40,000 tonnes per annum SX/EW plant), EW2 and EW3 tank 
houses were commissioned ahead of schedule in April and June respectively.

The completion of the front end (milling and leaching) of the Phase II plant and associated cobalt circuit is expected in Q1 2012. 
This, along with the already commissioned EW2 and EW3 tank houses, will increase overall plant capacity to 60,000 tonnes per 
annum of copper cathodes and 18,000 tonnes per annum of cobalt in hydroxide at design feed grades.

The optimisation of the front end of the Phase III plant and the associated cobalt circuit is expected to be completed by the end 
of Q2 2012 and Q4 2012 respectively which, along with the already commissioned EW4 tank house, will result in the overall hydro-
metallurgical complex being capable of producing 110,000 tonnes per annum of copper cathodes and 23,000 tonnes per annum 
of cobalt in hydroxide at design feed grades.

The acid plant, which has a design capacity of 390 tonnes per day sulphuric acid and 73 tonnes per day SO2 capacity, is currently 
being commissioned. The cost of the sulphuric acid plant and all three Phases of the Hydrometallurgical Plant is expected to be 
$ 734 million.

Mutanda also continues to assess various other expansion options and is currently considering whether to expand the current 
plant capacity to 210,000 tonnes per annum (with an initial cost estimate of $ 670 million) or to expand the existing plant capacity 
to 150,000 tonnes per annum in conjunction with the construction of a new 100,000 tonnes unit sulphide concentrator.

Mutanda, in conjunction with Katanga and Kansuki, is engaged in a project to secure power for all three operations through the re-
furbishment of two turbines at the Inga dam which is expected to provide 450 megawatts of power. The project is being executed 
in partnership with SNEL, the national power operator in the DRC, and EGMF, the project contractor. The initial cost estimate is 
$ 340 million, which will be contributed by Mutanda, Katanga and Kansuki. The amount invested will be recovered via lower elec-
tricity tariffs.

Glencore holds a 50% interest in Kansuki Investments Sprl which in turn holds a 75% interest in Kansuki Sprl, the owner of the 
Kansuki concession, thereby giving Glencore an effective interest of 37.5%. Kansuki is a 185 square kilometre copper and cobalt 
pre-development  project  which  borders  the  Mutanda  concession.  A  total  of  $  135  million  of  capital  expenditure  for  mine  and 
plant development has been committed of which $ 103 million has been spent. Exploration of the Kansuki concession is ongoing.  
Discussions with respect to a potential combination of the Mutanda and Kansuki operations are ongoing with a view to ultimately 
obtaining a majority stake in the merged entity.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  55

Mopani (Glencore interest: 73.1%)
Total  contained  copper  in  ore  hoisted  and  mined  was  6%  higher  than  in  2010  whilst  total  contained  copper  in  concentrate  for 
2011 was 9% higher than 2010 due to the improved ore deliveries from mining. 2011 gross anode production from the smelter 
of 208,200 tonnes was 5% higher than 2010 levels, which was driven by increased concentrate receipts and improved recoveries.

Total  finished  copper  from  own  sources  in  2011  was  7%  higher  compared  to  2010  whilst  total  finished  copper  for  2011  at 
204,400 tonnes, including purchased material and toll, was the highest achieved since Mopani’s inception.

Finished cobalt production in 2011 was 18% lower compared to 2010, primarily due to the lower cobalt grades in both Mopani 
and purchased concentrates. Cobalt production was further adversely affected by the re-alignment of the Nkana concentrator to 
maximise copper concentrate production as well as the cobalt roaster being put on care and maintenance.

There  are  a  series  of  major  capital  expenditure  projects  underway  to  increase  mine  production  and  continue  to  improve  and 
modernise the smelter. The Synclinorium project is a new shaft development which should provide access to 115 million tonnes of 
copper ore and is expected to yield 4 million tonnes per annum of ore by 2018 replacing and improving on production from the 
current ore bodies in Nkana. It will be mined for approximately 18 years with an average grade of 1.85% copper content and 0.06% 
cobalt content. Forecast capital expenditure for the project is $ 323 million.

In metallurgy, the Smelter Phase III project is currently underway and includes the installation of three new converters, gas cleaning 
equipment and a second acid plant, which will improve sulphur dioxide emissions capture to above 97%. The project is on sched-
ule and forecast capital expenditure for the project is $ 145 million.

Other Zinc
Los Quenuales (Glencore interest: 97.5%)
Los Quenuales, which comprises of the Iscaycruz and Yauliyacu mines, continued its strong production performance in H1 2011 
throughout the whole year.

Total ore processed at Iscaycruz was 43% higher than in 2010 (the mine having reopened in April 2010). Zinc and lead head grades 
did decline modestly but the higher overall volumes resulted in a 24% increase in the production of zinc concentrates whilst lead 
concentrate production levels effectively remained unchanged.

Total ore processed at Yauliyacu was 2% lower than in 2010, although zinc concentrate production remained unchanged due to im-
provements in recovery and head grade. In late April 2011, Los Quenuales ceased production of a single complex bulk concentrate, 
instead opting for separation into lead and copper concentrates. These separate concentrates are more readily saleable under 
current market conditions. In aggregate, as a result of the slight reduction in volumes treated and lower head grades, Yauliyacu 
produced 5% less bulk/lead/copper concentrates in 2011.

Sinchi Wayra (Glencore interest: 100%)
Production at Sinchi Wayra was significantly higher compared to 2010. Ore treated and zinc concentrate produced was 15% higher 
whilst lead and tin concentrates produced were 29% and 25% higher respectively. These improvements were the result of a num-
ber of efficiency programs and low value/short pay-back capex expansion projects. These positive factors were slightly offset by 
a heavier than normal rainy season. Recovery issues in the Colquiri concentrator, as noted in the Interim Report 2011, have been 
addressed and largely resolved.

Negotiations with the Bolivian government to amend Sinchi Wayra’s mining contracts in accordance with the new constitution are 
ongoing and whilst progress has been made, the final outcome and the timing thereof cannot be determined at this stage.

AR Zinc (Glencore interest: 100%)
Production levels were consistent with prior years and in line with expectations, with zinc metal production increasing by 6% year 
on year.

The Palpala lead smelter had a maintenance shutdown during January and returned to full capacity thereafter however, as a result 
of the shutdown, lead metal production for the year was 17% lower than 2010 levels.

The Aguilar mine produced 15% more lead in concentrate compared to 2010, with the surplus unable to be treated at Palpala  being 
exported.

Perkoa (Glencore interest: 50.1%)
Construction is currently ongoing, with first production expected later this year. It is expected that the mine plan will be improved by 
adding a new opencut source of ore, increasing planned plant capacity. These planned improvements which should also  increase 
the life of mine and total overall production.

56  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Other Copper 
Cobar (Glencore interest: 100%)
Total production for 2011 was 44,700 tonnes of copper contained, an 11% reduction compared to 2010. This decrease is largely 
attributable to a temporary reduction in loader availability and lower head grades.

The main capital expenditure project currently underway is the shaft extension which will reduce operating costs per unit, allow 
access to more ore and increase production. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2013 and total forecast capital 
expenditure for the project is $ 175 million.

Punitaqui (Glencore interest: 100%)
During 2011 Punitaqui produced 39,000 tonnes of copper concentrates, an encouraging first full year of production given opera-
tions only started toward the end of 2010, following the mine’s acquisition in February 2010 and subsequent refurbishment.

Alumina/Aluminium
Sherwin Alumina (Glencore interest: 100%)
Production in 2011 was 1,460,100 tonnes, an increase of 16% compared to 2010, which was primarily due to the restart of the fifth 
digestor unit at the beginning of 2011.

Key  capital  expenditure  projects  include  the  re-bundling  of  the  vertical  heat  exchangers  which  is  ongoing  and  the  increase  in 
calciner capacity which is close to completion.

Ferroalloys/Nickel/Cobalt/Iron Ore 
Murrin Murrin (Glencore interest: 100%)
Production in 2011 was 30,000 tonnes of nickel packaged and 2,100 tonnes of cobalt packaged, a 6% and 5% increase compared 
to 2010 production of 28,400 tonnes of nickel and 2,000 tonnes of cobalt. This increase was despite production being impacted by 
various issues including a series of electrical storms, heavy rain and flooding as well as maintenance issues.

The failure of an acid plant heat exchanger in June saw production continuing at a reduced rate before the tie-in of a new tem-
porary  unit  in  July.  In  October,  the  acid  plant  was  shut  to  facilitate  the  tie-in  of  the  replacement  heat  exchanger.  Production 
subsequently improved in the second half of the year, reflecting increased plant availability and increased processed ore-grade 
following the ramp-up to full production from the Murrin Murrin East ore body.

Capital expenditure in 2011 was strictly contained and included the development of the Murrin Murrin East mine, commissioning of 
the high-density slurry project and work on a sixth reduction autoclave and second flash vessel unit in the refinery’s nickel circuit, 
all of which commenced prior to 2011.

In September 2011, Glencore launched an all cash offer to acquire all the remaining Minara shares not already owned by Glencore. 
In November, following the successful closure of the offer, Glencore acquired the remaining shares and now owns 100%. The total 
consideration in respect of the minority buyout was approximately $ 265 million. 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  57

2.3 | Energy products

“2011 was a relatively strong year for the energy products 
segment,  benefiting  from  favourable  supply  and  demand 
conditions  coupled  with  continued  success  in  expanding 
our  industrial asset portfolio achieving first oil production 
from the Aseng field, a few months ahead of schedule and 
expanding our coal operational base in South Africa and 
Colombia.”

Alex Beard, Tor Peterson 

Highlights
Energy products’ total Adjusted EBIT in 2011 was $ 1,072 million, an increase of 56% 
compared to 2010. The improved performance was driven by strong growth in both 
marketing and industrial activities.

Energy products’ marketing activities reported Adjusted EBIT of $ 697 million in 2011, 
a  55%  increase  on  2010.  This  improvement  was  driven,  in  particular,  by  stronger  oil 
market  fundamentals  during  H1  2011.  H2  2011  performance  was  impacted  by  lower 
wet freight rates (given our long, but continuously reducing exposure to time charters) 
and a more challenging oil market environment which provided fewer opportunities.

Energy products’ industrial activities Adjusted EBIT performance increased by 60% to 
$ 375 million in 2011, driven by higher average coal prices and increased production 
at Prodeco and the commencement of production at the Aseng oil field in Block I – 
Equatorial Guinea.

Outlook 
Looking ahead, after an initial period of weakness due to uncertainties surrounding 
the Euro crisis, we expect demand in the energy markets in which we operate to pick 
up and thereafter for growth to remain stable. 

Adjusted EBIT

1 400

1 200

1 000

n 800
o

i
l
l
i

m
$
S
U

600

400

200

0

2009

2010

2011

Marketing activities
Industrial activities

2009 2010 2011
697
450
375
235

945
413

Marketing activities

120 000

100 000

80 000

T
M
k

60 000

40 000

20 000

0

900 000

800 000

700 000

600 000

500 000

400 000

300 000

200 000

100 000

0

s
l
b
b
k

2009

2010

2011

Coal (k MT)
Oil (k bbls)

2009

2011
2010
106 000 100 900
95 400
812 638 897 849 849 271

Industrial activities

T
M
k

21 000

18 000

15 000

12 000

9 000

6 000

3 000

0

3 000

2 500

2 000

1 500

1 000

500

0

s
l
b
b
k

2009

2010

2011

Coal (k MT)
Oil (k bbls)

2009
16 094
–

2010
17 433
–

2011
20 506
2 785

58  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

 
 
 
 
 
 
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

US $ million

Revenue

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBIT

Adjusted EBITDA margin (%)
Allocated average CE 1
Adjusted EBIT return on average CE 

Marketing 
activities

Industrial 
activities

114 756

724

697

1%
5 168

13%

2 309

571

375

25%
4 762 2
8%

2011

117 065

1 295

1 072

–
9 930 2
11%

Marketing 
activities

Industrial 
activities

87 850

470

450

1%
5 614 2
8%

1 499

359

235

24%
3 376 2
7%

2010

89 349

829

685

– 
8 989 2
8%

1  The simple average of segment current and non current capital employed (see note 2 of the financial statements), adjusted for production 

related inventories, is applied as a proxy for marketing and industrial activities respectively.

2  For  the  purposes  of  this  calculation,  capital  employed  has  been  adjusted  to  exclude  Russneft,  Atlas,  PT  Bakrie  and  Oteko  Group  loans  

(see note 8 of the financial statements), which generate interest income and do not contribute to Adjusted EBIT.

MARKET CONdITIONS

Selected average commodity prices

S&P GSCI Energy Index

API2 ($/t)

API4 ($/t)
Prodeco realised price ($/t) 1
Shanduka realised export price ($/t)

Shanduka realised domestic price ($/t)

Oil price – Brent ($/bbl)

2011

2010

Change 

333

122

116

95

108

43

111

266

93

92

82

96

35

80

25%

31% 

26% 

16% 

13% 

23% 

39% 

1 As at 31 December 2011, 27 million tonnes had been sold forward at an average price of $ 94 per tonne.

The underlying fundamentals of global energy markets generally improved during 2011 with average prices appreciably higher 
during 2011 than 2010. The GSCI Energy Index increased by 25% from December 2010 to December 2011. 

Coal
During H1 2011 demand for coal was strongly supported by cold weather related demand, combined with supply shortages due 
to Australian flooding and adverse weather conditions in Colombia, which left the traded market relatively tight. The effect of the 
Japanese earthquake and tsunami on nuclear generation also played a role in increasing  demand for coal, especially in the envi-
ronmentally sensitive Atlantic markets. 

Thereafter, the global financial crisis and uncertainty surrounding consumption patterns led to many players taking a cautious ap-
proach towards longer term commitments and a move to a more spot price oriented market. This resulted in lower demand and  prices. 
Prices fell further towards the end of the year, impacted by mild weather and robust coal supplies, especially from the US, which af-
fected the Atlantic markets, whereas the Asian markets remained more robust and  resilient, although the general trend was also lower.

Oil
Brent front month prices started the year at $ 95 per barrel and ended at $ 107 per barrel, ranging between $ 93 per barrel and $ 127 
per barrel, with most of the volatility seen during the first half of the year. During 2010, the range was between $ 70 per barrel to 
$ 95 per barrel. The increased volatility in H1 2011, driven by events in the Middle East and North Africa, the Japanese Tsunami and 
nuclear accident, European sovereign debt concerns and the IEA’s decision to release strategic reserves in June, provided numerous 
marketing opportunities. For example, the removal of Libya’s light sweet crude caused a sharp tightening of supplies of this grade. 
During H2 2011, oil prices trended downwards, and oil markets became dominated by bank and sovereign credit developments. The 
resulting unpredictability during this period resulted in more challenging trading conditions.

WTI became further dislocated from international grades in the second half of the year due to the domestic US crude benchmark’s 
captive delivery location. The differential between Brent-WTI started the year at $ 2 per barrel differential, reaching a peak of $ 28 
per barrel in mid-October before narrowing to $ 9 per barrel at the end of December 2011. The market ended with Brent and gasoil 
in backwardation but with gasoline showing the expected contango into the driving season.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  59

 
 
MARKETINg

Highlights
2011 saw a strong year-on-year improvement, however this reflects, to a large extent, the weak base comparable period for oil mar-
keting in 2010. 2011 continued to be negatively impacted by the weak freight environment in both the dry and wet market segments.

Adjusted EBIT for 2011 was $ 697 million, compared to $ 450 million in 2010, an increase of 55%.

Financial information

US $ million

Revenue

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBIT

Selected marketing volumes sold

million

Thermal coal (MT)

Metallurgical coal (MT)

Coke (MT)

Crude oil (bbls)

Oil products (bbls)

2011

2010

Change 

114 756

87 850

724

697

470

450

31%

54%

55% 

2011

91.0

4.1

0.3

271.4

577.8

2010

Change 

92.2

8.0

0.7

375.0

522.9

– 1%

– 49%

– 57%

– 28%

10%

Coal
Actual  volume  reduction  was  applicable  to  the  more  specialised  metallurgical  coal  and  coke  products,  whereas  thermal  coal 
 volumes were fairly stable year on year.

The reduced volatility and lower overall freight rates resulted in fewer arbitrage opportunities between the various origins, with 
smaller volumes of cross market arbitrage being available. The reduction in volumes of generally higher margin specialised prod-
ucts resulted in a negative variance compared to 2010, although overall profitability remained solid.

The outlook for 2012 remains positive, although some market weakness can be expected during the early part of the year due to 
the uncertainty surrounding the European sovereign debt crisis. Thereafter, we expect demand to pick up and remain stable on 
the back of lower inventories and reduced nuclear capacity. The availability of good quality coal is likely to remain constrained with 
most of the growth in production centred on lower quality products, which is therefore likely to allow good quality coal to enjoy 
solid premiums over the rest of the market. 

Glencore’s focus remains committed to continue a growth strategy around strengthening of global partnerships with key players 
in the Pacific and Atlantic markets and to build up arbitrage and multi sourcing capabilities beyond equity investments. Glencore 
is well placed in this respect with most of its production and equity partnerships covering premium quality coal.

Oil 
On an overall barrels per day basis, volumes decreased by 5% to 2.3 million barrels per day in 2011 from 2.5 million barrels per day 
in 2010. Despite this modest decline in volume, there was no material impact to the department’s overall business coverage in 
support of profit opportunities and future growth potential.

Whilst high volatility and favourable physical supply/demand conditions provided more opportunities in H1 2011, the market dur-
ing H2 2011 proved more challenging, with weaker expectations for developed market economic growth, poor refining margins 
and weak freight rates, resulting in fewer arbitrage opportunities. Despite a general improvement in freight in the months leading 
up to May 2011, challenging conditions returned for the remainder of the year with the renewed sovereign debt crisis, evidenced 
by market oversupply (particularly of larger vessels), continuing high bunker fuel prices and lower back-haul.

60  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

INduSTRIAL ACTIVITIES

Highlights
•  The energy industrial segment delivered a substantially improved performance during 2011 on the back of production increases 

at our coal operations in Colombia.

•  Industrial revenues in 2011 were $ 2,309 million versus $ 1,499 million in 2010, an increase of 54%. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted 
EBIT for 2011 was $ 571 million and $ 375 million respectively, up 59% and 60% compared to $ 359 million and $ 235 million in 2010.
•  Our coal mining and infrastructure expansion in Colombia is progressing well with Puerto Nuevo more than 50% complete and 

expected to be commissioned in Q1 2013.

•  The Aseng oil field in Block I started production in November 2011, well ahead of its initial estimated timeline, with a total produc-

tion of 2.8 million barrels by year-end, in excess of 50,000 barrels per day.

Financial information 

US $ million

Revenue
Prodeco

Shanduka

Coal

Oil

Total

Adjusted EBITDA 
Prodeco

Shanduka

Coal

Oil
Share of income from associates and dividends

Total 

Adjusted EBITDA margin (%)

Adjusted EBIT
Prodeco

Shanduka

Coal

Oil
Share of income from associates and dividends

Total 

Capex
Prodeco
Shanduka

Coal

Oil

Total 

 2011

2010

Change 

1 344

323

1 667

642

2 309

418

75

493

23
55

571

25%

281

49

330

– 10
55

375

510
29

539

706

1 245

954

292

1 246

253

1 499

278

47

325

– 12
46

359

24%

199

14

213

– 24
46

235

277
27

304

514

818

41% 

11% 

34%

154% 

54% 

50%

60%

52%

n.m.
20%

59%

– 

41%

250%

55%

n.m.
20%

60%

–
–

–

–

–

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  61

Production data

thousand MT ¹

Thermal Coal
Prodeco

Shanduka (Export) ²

Shanduka (Domestic) ²

Total

Own 

Buy-in
Coal 

2011
Total 

Own 

Buy-in 
Coal

2010
Total 

Own produc-
tion change 

14 586

498

5 422

20 506

195

–

802

997

14 781

498

 6 224 

21 503

10 042

385

7 006

17 433

230

–

497

727

10 272

 385 

 7 503 

18 160

45%

29%

– 23%

18%

¹ Controlled industrial assets only. Production is on a 100% basis.
2 Shanduka production for 2010 restated to a saleable basis, previously reported on a “ROM” (Run of Mine) basis.

thousand bbls

Oil ¹
Block I

Total

¹ On a 100% basis. Glencore’s ownership interest in the Aseng field is 23.75%

OPERATIONS

2011
Total 

2010
Total 

Change 

2 785

2 785

–

–

n.m.

n.m.

Prodeco (Glencore interest: 100%)
Total own coal production in 2011 was 14.6 million tonnes, an increase of 46% compared to 10.0 million tonnes in 2010. This substan-
tial increase is largely attributable to the broad expansion project underway, which is forecast to increase production to 21 million 
tonnes by Q4 2013.

At the Calenturitas mine, Sector A has been opened contributing 4.3 million tonnes of the 7.6 million tonnes produced in 2011, a 
46% increase from 5.2 million tonnes in 2010. Production at the La Jagua mine was 7.0 million tonnes, a 46% increase compared to 
4.8 million tonnes in 2010.

The increased production across Prodeco’s mines was somewhat constrained by the previously communicated delays in delivery 
of mining equipment from Japan in the aftermath of the Tsunami as well as the downtime of 21 rain days in excess of budget, 
 primarily due to exceptionally heavy rains in October and November.

The largest capital expenditure project currently underway is the construction of the new direct loading port (Puerto Nuevo in 
Cienaga),  which  will  provide  Prodeco  with  higher  annual  throughput  capacity  and  a  lower  operating  cost,  compared  with  the 
 current port at Puerto Prodeco (Zuñiga). The project is on schedule and expected to be commissioned in Q1 2013.

The remaining capital expenditure projects relate to ongoing mine fleet expansion and mine-based infrastructure support, which 
is substantially complete.

Shanduka (Glencore interest: 70.0%)
Total saleable own coal production for 2011 was 5.9 million tonnes, a 20% decrease compared to 2010 production of 7.4 million 
tonnes. This decrease was primarily due to the Kendal operations being placed on care and maintenance, which had the effect of 
reducing lower-margin domestic sales. 

A pre-feasibility study related to the Springboklaagte project is progressing well and is showing positive results.

62  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

 
 
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Umcebo (Glencore interest: 43.7%)
Glencore completed the acquisition of a 43.7% stake in Umcebo in December 2011. The transaction secures access to long-life 
resources from South Africa’s principal coal field in Mpumalanga, which has established infrastructure for the transport of export 
quality thermal coal. In addition, it also secures an eventual 1.5 million tonnes of export allocation in Phase V of the Richards Bay 
Coal Terminal expansion.

Umcebo currently has three thermal coal mines in operation (Middelkraal, Kleinfontein and Klippan) and a standalone wash plant, 
with an aggregate annual production capacity of approximately 6.0 million tonnes of saleable coal. Furthermore, the Wonderfon-
tein mine is scheduled to commence production in late 2012, with an annual saleable production capacity of 2.7 million tonnes.

Oil Exploration & Production (Glencore interest: Block I: 23.8%/Block O: 25.0%)
First production from the Aseng field (Block I – Equatorial Guinea) was achieved on 6 November 2011, ahead of the planned start-
up of Q1 2012. Gross oil production achieved to the end of December 2011 was 2.8 million barrels, an average daily rate of over 
50,000 barrels per day. Gross oil production since the start of 2012 has averaged 55,000 barrels per day.

Subsea development drilling and well completion work on the Alen gas/condensate field (Block O – Equatorial Guinea) remains 
ongoing, whilst the shallow water wellhead platform arrived and was installed in H2 2011. The project remains on schedule for first 
production in late 2013 with a target flow rate of 37,500 barrels per day.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  63

2.4 | Agricultural products

“we fully expect 2012 results to recover, with a return 
to profitability in cotton, coupled with continued strong 
performance in grains, oilseeds and sugar. Investments in 
oil seed crushing capacity and the expansion of our stor-
age  and  handling  infrastructure  has  laid  a  foundation  for 
growth. The recently announced acquisition of Viterra’s tier 
one grain storage, handling and port assets, subject to share-
holder and regulatory approval, is complementary from a 
product and geographic perspective and will transform our 
business.”

Chris Mahoney 

Highlights
Grain and oilseeds marketing reported solid results for 2011. Overall agricultural prod-
ucts marketing results were significantly impacted by the unprecedented cotton mar-
ket environment. The extreme volatility produced an outcome of ineffective hedging 
and high levels of physical contractual non-performance by suppliers and customers. 
Events in the cotton market accounted for the majority of the year-on-year reduction 
in agricultural products marketing Adjusted EBIT.

Our asset portfolio is currently in a phase of substantial targeted expansion and de-
velopment, which is expected to translate into enhanced scale and profitability going 
forward. The 2011 performance, in large part, reflects the current negative biodiesel 
production margin environment in Europe.

Outlook 
We  expect  a  significant  improvement  in  2012  results  across  our  whole  agricultural 
products business. The proposed acquisition of Viterra, subject to various approvals, 
represents a tremendous opportunity to secure significant grain handling, storage and 
port infrastructure at origin. Viterra is, geographically highly complementary, broaden-
ing our reach into North America, providing the opportunity to leverage Glencore’s 
existing and extensive global network. The acquisition is consistent with Glencore’s 
stated strategy of strengthening its position as one of the global leaders in the grain 
and oil seed markets.

Adjusted EBIT

n
o

i
l
l
i

m
$
S
U

800

600

400

200

0

– 200

2009

2010

2011

Marketing activities
Industrial activities

2009 2010 2011
– 8
659
– 39
58

304
41

Marketing activities

40 000

35 000

30 000

T 25 000
M
k

20 000

15 000

10 000

0

2009

2010

2011

Volumes

2009
28 924

2010
31 042

2011
37 214

Industrial activities

7 000

6 000

5 000

4 000

3 000

2 000

1 000

0

T
M
k

2009

2010

2011

Volumes

2009
3 132

2010
4 312

2011
6 563

64  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

 
 
 
 
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

US $ million

Revenue

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBIT

Adjusted EBITDA margin (%)
Allocated average CE 1
Adjusted EBIT return on average CE 

Marketing 
activities

Industrial 
activities

13 744

– 8

– 8

n.m.

3 323

0%

3 359

23

– 39

1%

1 631

– 2%

2011

17 103

15

– 47

– 

4 953

– 1%

Marketing 
activities

Industrial 
activities

8 238

659

659

8%

2 368

28%

2 180

107

58

5%

1 106

5%

2010

10 418

766

717

– 

3 474

21%

1  The simple average of segment current and non current capital employed (see note 2 of the financial statements), adjusted for production 

related inventories, is applied as a proxy for marketing and industrial activities respectively.

MARKET CONdITIONS

Selected average commodity prices

S&P GSCI Agriculture Index

CBOT corn no.2 price (US¢/bu)

ICE cotton price (US¢/lb)

CBOT soya beans (US¢/bu)

NYMEX sugar # 11 price (US¢/lb)

CBOT wheat price (US¢/bu)

2011

490

680

137

1 317

27

709

2010

Change 

363

428

94

1 049

22

582

35%

59%

46%

26%

23%

22%

Grain and oil seeds prices weakened in H2 2011, but nevertheless remained higher than in 2010. The GSCI Agriculture Index was 
on average 35% higher in 2011 compared to 2010. 

A substantial Russian wheat production recovery, a record Australian wheat crop and reduced US feed demand due to high prices 
provided some relief to the tight supply/demand situation. South American production was however impacted by drought and 
global supplies are still not burdensome. With demand underpinned by growth in Asia, good crops will be required in 2012 to 
match expected demand. 

Russian and Ukrainian export restrictions were lifted mid-2011, in response to good crops in both countries, but following near 
record exports from Russia, domestic prices again strengthened in late 2011. 

The cotton market began to normalise by late 2011 after a period of unprecedented volatility. In H2 2011 prices ranged between 
US¢ 90 and US¢ 110 per pound, having been as high as US¢ 214 per pound early in the year. As noted earlier, contract performance 
issues and the disconnect between futures prices and physical markets at various times during the year, created a very challenging 
environment.

MARKETINg

Highlights
Grain,  oil  seed,  sugar  and  freight  volumes  all  trended  higher  in  2011,  which  is  a  positive  development  in  an  otherwise  difficult 
year. Marketing Adjusted EBIT/EBITDA in 2011 was – $ 8 million compared to 2010’s record $ 659 million. A number of factors, as 
described below, had an impact on the results, however cotton was far and away, the key negative. 

Grain and oil seeds performed reasonably well but not on a par with 2010, which was a particularly strong year. Export restrictions 
in H1 2011 proved challenging, as did the European debt crisis induced volatility and uncertainty. When restrictions in Russia and 
the Ukraine were lifted, our up country infrastructure, elevator network and port ownership proved valuable in enabling the swift 
export of goods.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  65

 
As noted before, in the cotton business, non and/or delayed contract performance by suppliers in a rising market, non-perfor-
mance of customer contracts in the subsequent declining market and, by historical standards, the unprecedented disconnect/
imperfect correlation between the futures market and the physical markets, created enormous challenges. These factors caused 
significant  loss/opportunity  cost  to  numerous  market  participants  and  the  industry,  in  general,  is  now  undergoing  a  review  in 
 respect of pricing and performance enhancing mechanisms, length of contacts etc.

Financial information

US $ million

Revenue

Adjusted EBITDA/EBIT

Selected marketing volumes sold

million MT

Grains

Oil/oilseeds

Cotton

Sugar

INduSTRIAL ACTIVITIES

2011

2010

Change 

13 744

– 8

8 238

659

67%

n.m.

2011

25.3

10.8

0.5

0.7

2010

Change 

20.9

9.4

0.2

0.5

21% 

15% 

150% 

40%

Highlights
With the exception of biodiesel production, processed volumes were considerably higher in 2011 compared to 2010. The signifi-
cant increase in wheat milling production was due to an acquisition. The asset portfolio is in a phase of targeted expansion with a 
focus on storage, handling and oilseed processing facilities. Two new oilseed processing plants were acquired in 2011 and our new 
build projects remain on budget and time schedule.

Financial information 

US $ million

Revenue
Adjusted EBITDA 1
Adjusted EBIT 1
Adjusted EBITDA margin (%)

Capex

1 Includes share of income from associates and dividends of $ 18 million (2010: $ 19 million).

Production data

thousand MT

Farming

Oilseed crushing

Oilseed crushing long term toll agreement

Biodiesel

Rice Milling

Wheat Milling

Sugarcane Processing

Total

66  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

2011

2010

Change 

3 359

23

– 39

1%

221

2 180

107

58

5%

71

54%

– 79%

n.m.

– 

– 

2011 

2010

Change 

827

2 008

948

569

304

1 001

906

6 563

587

1 593

727

831

212

362

0

4 312

41%

26%

30%

– 32%

43%

177%

n.m.

52%

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

OPERATIONS

Rio Vermelho (Glencore interest: 100%)
During 2011 Rio Vermelho crushed a total of 906,000 tonnes of sugarcane, producing 75,000 cubic metres of hydrous ethanol. Pro-
duction was however below expectations, due to severe frosts which affected the region in June and August, and consequently 
lowered agricultural yields.

Rio Vermelho farmed 68% of its sugarcane feedstock in 2011, the balance of which was supplied by independent farmers. The 
share of own-farmed sugarcane is expected to increase over subsequent crop cycles as Rio Vermelho expands its own plantations.

A five year expansion plan is underway to increase crushing capacity from 1.0 million tonnes to 2.6 million tonnes, construct a Very 
High Pol (“VHP”) sugar plant with a capacity of 260,000 tonnes and an anhydrous ethanol production capability of up to 80,000  cubic 
metres as well as the construction of a cogeneration plant capable of supplying 200,000 megawatt hours of surplus electricity to 
the grid. The first phase of the project, namely the construction of the VHP sugar plant, is expected to be completed by mid-2012. 
The total estimated project cost is $ 322 million.

Other Agricultural Products
Oilseed crushing
Processed  volumes  increased  in  2011  versus  2010,  however  soybean  crush  margins,  particularly  in  South  American  in  H2  2011, 
were subdued. In December 2011, we acquired two soft seed processing facilities at Ústí in the Czech Republic and at Bodaczów 
in  Poland, production of which will only be realised in 2012. Our Hungarian plant construction completed and commenced com-
missioning in December. The Timbues soya bean facility in Argentina is scheduled for completion by the end of H1 2012. These 
four facilities will add 3.6 million tonnes of processing capacity to our portfolio, including Glencore’s share of Timbues of 2.0 mil-
lion tonnes.

Biodiesel
Poor biodiesel esterification margins negatively impacted the 2011 results. Overcapacity in the EU and legislative changes that 
effectively diminished biodiesel demand were the main underlying causes. In response, we reduced our production volume by 
32% compared to 2010 and took the unfortunate, but necessary measure of mothballing the Schwarzheide plant. The outlook in 
Europe remains challenging. In Argentina, our Renova joint venture performed well and the outlook is more positive, supported by 
the government’s efforts to boost local biodiesel consumption.

Rice and wheat milling
Rice milled volumes rose by 43% in 2011, with better Argentine and Uruguayan rice crops. Wheat milling volume rose substantially 
due to our late 2010 acquisition of 50% of the Brazilian milling company Predilito. Both rice and wheat milling performed satisfac-
torily. In Brazil, the business is supported by strong brand recognition.

Farming
Overall farm production rose 41% and the business performed reasonably well due to favourable weather conditions and large 
crops.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  67

2.5 | Reserves and resources

The reserves and resources data in the following tables is presented on a 100% asset basis, unless otherwise stated. All tonnage 
and volume information has been rounded to reflect the relative uncertainty in the estimates; there may therefore be small differ-
ences in the totals. The Measured and Indicated Mineral and Coal Resources are reported inclusive of those resources modified 
to produce reserves.

METALS ANd MINERALS

KAZZINC 1, 2

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Reserves

Resources

OPERATING MINES

Vasilkovskoye

Maleevsky

Ridder-Sokolny 3

Tishinsky

Staroye Tailings Dam 4

Ore

Gold

Ore

Gold

Silver

Copper

Lead

Zinc

Ore

Gold

Silver

Copper

Lead

Zinc

Ore

Gold

Silver

Copper

Lead

Zinc

Ore

Gold

Silver

Copper

Lead

Zinc

’000 MT

 131 080 

 31 350 

 162 430 

 171 000 

 104 310 

 40 880 

 316 190 

Content, g/t

Gold Amount, ‘000 toz

 1.89 

 7 960 

 1.49 

 1 502 

 1.81 

 9 462 

 1.79 

 9 841 

 1.33 

 4 460 

 1.72 

 1.63 

 2 261 

 16 562 

’000 MT

 13 280 

 5 380 

 18 660 

 16 820 

Content, g/t

Content, g/t

Content, %

Content, %

Content, %

 0.54 

 69.08 

 2.13 

 0.98 

 5.95 

 0.40 

 47.20 

 1.36 

 0.91 

 5.35 

 0.50 

 62.77 

 1.90 

 0.96 

 5.78 

 0.64 

 81.91 

 2.49 

 1.17 

 6.92 

 5 240 

 0.56 

 65.13 

 1.79 

 1.23 

 7.08 

 5 170 

 27 220 

 0.25 

 50.11 

 1.16 

 1.79 

 5.82 

 0.55 

 72.64 

 2.10 

 1.30 

 6.74 

’000 MT

 9 070 

 27 850 

 36 920 

 24 450 

 67 780 

 32 940 

 125 170 

Content, g/t

Content, g/t

Content, %

Content, %

Content, %

 1.25 

 5.96 

 0.64 

 0.24 

 0.60 

 2.15 

 8.80 

 0.52 

 0.25 

 0.52 

 1.93 

 8.22 

 0.55 

 0.25 

 0.54 

 1.58 

 10.23 

 0.72 

 0.37 

 0.87 

 2.16 

 9.27 

 0.64 

 0.33 

 0.68 

 1.56 

 9.26 

 0.47 

 0.32 

 0.72 

 1.89 

 9.45 

 0.61 

 0.34 

 0.73 

’000 MT

 18 200 

 4 900 

 23 100 

 25 360 

 7 960 

 5 020 

 38 340 

Content, g/t

Content, g/t

Content, %

Content, %

Content, %

’000 MT

Content, g/t

Content, g/t

Content, %

Content, %

Content, %

 0.53 

 7.99 

 0.52 

 0.91 

 4.19 

–

 – 

–

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 0.47 

 9.36 

 0.40 

 0.88 

 4.13 

 3 580 

 1.13 

 11.83 

 0.04 

 0.34 

 0.74 

 0.52 

 8.28 

 0.49 

 0.91 

 4.18 

 3 580 

 1.13 

 11.83 

 0.04 

 0.34 

 0.74 

 2 390 

 21.60 

 2 390 

 21.60 

 0.55 

 8.04 

 0.53 

 0.85 

 4.09 

–

 – 

–

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 0.42 

 6.94 

 0.40 

 0.72 

 3.69 

 4 420 

 1.14 

 12.36 

 0.04 

 0.34 

 0.74 

 2 480 

 21.71 

 0.27 

 8.44 

 0.50 

 1.41 

 3.77 

 2 790 

 0.96 

 10.96 

 0.04 

 0.29 

 0.62 

 0.48 

 7.86 

 0.50 

 0.90 

 3.96 

 7 210 

 1.07 

 11.82 

 0.04 

 0.32 

 0.69 

 – 

 – 

 2 480 

 21.71 

Shaimerden Stockpiles

Ore

Zinc

’000 MT

Content, %

68  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

KAZZINC 1, 2

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Reserves

Resources

DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Dolinnoye

Obruchevskoye

Chashinskoye Tailings Dam

Tishinsky Tailings Dam

Ore

Gold

Silver

Copper

Lead

Zinc

Ore

Gold

Silver

Copper

Lead

Zinc

Ore

Gold

Silver

Copper

Lead

Zinc

Ore

Gold

Silver

Copper

Lead

Zinc

’000 MT

Content, g/t

Content, g/t

Content, %

Content, %

Content, %

’000 MT

Content, g/t

 3 660 

 3.93 

 53.76 

 0.20 

 0.75 

 1.41 

 890 

 1.73 

Content, g/t

 42.80 

Content, %

Content, %

Content, %

 0.81 

 4.27 

 8.98 

 960 

 2.38 

 29.82 

 0.14 

 0.50 

 1.02 

 3 250 

 0.90 

 33.21 

 0.83 

 2.66 

 6.50 

 4 620 

 3.61 

 48.77 

 0.19 

 0.70 

 1.33 

 4 140 

 1.08 

 35.26 

 0.82 

 3.01 

 7.03 

 4 010 

 4.47 

 61.83 

 0.24 

 0.92 

 1.76 

 2 710 

 1.76 

 65.37 

 1.51 

 0.42 

 2.46 

 3 040 

 2.51 

 34.03 

 0.14 

 0.51 

 1.01 

 5 510 

 0.51 

 22.15 

 1.05 

 0.37 

 2.06 

 3 830 

 10 880 

 2.11 

 29.54 

 0.20 

 0.68 

 1.26 

 3.09 

 42.70 

 0.20 

 0.72 

 1.37 

 5 240 

 13 460 

 0.51 

 36.42 

 0.95 

 0.36 

 1.77 

 0.76 

 36.41 

 1.24 

 0.39 

 2.16 

’000 MT

Content, g/t

Content, g/t

Content, %

Content, %

Content, %

’000 MT

Content, g/t

Content, g/t

Content, %

Content, %

Content, %

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 55 500 

55 500 

 0.67 

 5.13 

 0.05 

 0.15 

 0.38 

 0.67 

 5.13 

 0.05 

 0.15 

 0.38 

 1 100 

 1 100 

 0.38 

 5.10 

 0.23 

 0.44 

 2.25 

 0.38 

 5.10 

 0.23 

 0.44 

 2.25 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 57 800 

 30 000 

 87 800 

 0.67 

 5.16 

 0.05 

 0.15 

 0.38 

 1 150 

 0.38 

 5.13 

 0.23 

 0.44 

 2.26 

 0.50 

 4.57 

 0.06 

 0.19 

 0.45 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 0.61 

 4.96 

 0.05 

 0.16 

 0.40 

 1 150 

 0.38 

 5.13 

 0.23 

 0.44 

 2.26 

¹  The information in the tables above, in relation to mineral resources and ore reserves, has been estimated in accordance with the guidelines 
of the 2004 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC code) and 
is dated as of 31 December 2011.

²  Remaining mine life: different for each mine, ranging from eight to 21 years. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licences: different for 

each mine, ranging from 19 May 2013 to 7 November 2030.

3  Mineral resources and ore reserves for Ridder-Sokolny have been completed for a significant part of the deposit, however there are still some 

outstanding results.

4  The grades of copper and zinc for the depletion of the Staroye Tailings have been estimated from assumptions based upon the known propor-

tion of other metals within the tailings due to a lack of grade data.

Competent  Persons:  the  mineral  resource  and  ore  reserve  estimates  set  out  above  were  reviewed  and  approved  by  Phil  Newall  of  Wardell 
Armstrong. The mineral resource and ore reserve estimates have been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code. Mr Newall is a Competent 
Person as defined by JORC and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration 
and to the activity which he is undertaking.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  69

 
KATANGA 1, 2

Commodity

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Reserves

Resources

Kamoto

T17

Mashamba East

KOV

Kananga

Tilwezembe

Ore

’000 MT

 13 000 

 19 400 

32 400 

 32 100 

 32 900 

 11 000 

 76 000 

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

3.43 

0.51 

3.70 

0.53 

3.59 

0.52 

4.33 

0.58 

4.63 

0.57 

5.00 

0.59 

4.56 

0.58 

Ore

’000 MT

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

Ore

’000 MT

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

Ore

’000 MT

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

Ore

’000 MT

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

Ore

’000 MT

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 2 500 

 2 500 

 4 500 

 9 400 

 5 200 

 19 100 

3.51 

0.56 

3.51 

0.56 

2.71 

0.54 

4.44 

0.65 

4.21 

0.98 

3.97 

0.71 

 5 900 

 5 900 

3.00 

0.36 

3.00 

0.36 

–

–

–

 75 000 

 65 300 

140 300 

1.80 

0.38 

0.76 

0.10 

1.32 

0.25 

 55 100 

55 100 

 3 900 

 117 200 

 69 800 

190 900 

4.74 

0.45 

4.74 

0.45 

4.25 

0.22 

5.41 

0.42 

3.58 

0.32 

4.72 

0.38 

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 4 100 

 4 000 

 8 100 

1.61 

0.79 

2.00 

0.98 

1.80 

0.88 

 9 500 

 13 800 

 23 300 

1.89

0.60 

1.75 

0.60 

1.81 

0.60 

1  As at 31 December 2011. The information in the table above, in relation to mineral reserves and resources, is in compliance with the JORC 

Code and has been extracted without material adjustment from the Competent Person’s Report compiled for Katanga.

2  Remaining life of mine: in excess of 25 years. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licences: 7 May 2022 for the Kananga Extension and 

3 April 2024 for all remaining operations.

Competent Persons: the mineral reserves and resources estimates set out above were reviewed and approved by Willem van der Schyff 
of  Golder Associates. The reserve and resources estimates have been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code. Mr van der Schyff is a 
Competent Person as defined by JORC and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under 
consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking.

MUTANDA 1, 2

Commodity

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Reserves

Resources

Mutanda pits

Stockpiles

Ore

’000 MT

41 400

6 500

47 900

 100 000 

 23 700 

 172 200 

295 900 

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

Ore

’000 MT

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

3.00

0.82

6 700

2.53

1.36

3.09

0.82

–

–

–

3.01

0.82

6 700

2.53

1.36

2.15 

0.70 

1.54 

0.82 

1.03 

0.47 

1.45 

0.58 

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1  As at 31 December 2011. The information in the table above in relation to mineral reserves and resources is in compliance with the JORC Code 

and has been extracted without material adjustment from the Competent Person’s Report compiled for Mutanda.

2  Remaining mine life: 20 years. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licenses: 26 May 2022 for Mutanda. This is renewable in accordance 

with the DRC mining code for periods of 15 years.

Competent  Persons:  the  mineral  reserves  and  resources  estimates  set  out  above  were  reviewed  and  approved  by  Willem  van  der  Schyff 
of  Golder Associates. The reserves and resources estimates have been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code. Mr van der Schyff is a 
Competent Person as defined by JORC and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under 
consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking.

70  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

 
 
KANSUKI 1, 2

Area 3

Area 1

Area 2 East

Area 2 West

Kabwimia

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Commodity

Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Resources

Ore

’000 MT

 16 700 

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

1.72 

0.17 

Ore

’000 MT

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

Ore

’000 MT

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

Ore

’000 MT

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

Ore

’000 MT

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

 – 

–

 – 

 – 

–

 – 

 – 

–

 – 

 – 

–

 – 

 400 

0.93 

0.14 

 63 900 

1.13 

0.37 

 – 

 17 100 

–

–

 – 

–

 – 

1.70 

0.17 

 63 900 

1.13 

0.37 

 – 

–

 – 

 – 

–

 – 

 – 

–

 – 

 38 800 

 38 800 

0.44 

0.08 

0.44 

0.08 

 71 600 

 71 600 

0.65 

0.28 

0.65 

0.28 

 6 200

 6 200 

0.75 

0.02 

0.75 

0.02 

1  As  at  31  December  2011.  The  mineral  resource  estimates  set  out  above  were  reviewed  and  approved  by  Willem  van  der  Schyff  of  Golder 
 Associates.  The  resource  estimates  have  been  prepared  in  accordance  with  the  JORC  Code.  Mr  van  der  Schyff  is  a  Competent  Person  as 
defined by JORC and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to 
the activity which he is undertaking.

2  Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licences: 5 May 2022. This is renewable in accordance with the DRC mining code for periods of  

15 years.

MOPANI 1, 2

Commodity

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Reserves

Resources

Nkana Sulphides

Nkana Oxides

Mufulira Sulphides

Mufulira Oxides

Ore

’000 MT

 98 700 

 19 800 

118 600 

 143 600 

 42 500 

 38 300 

224 400 

Copper

Cobalt

%

%

1.91 

0.08 

1.78 

0.09 

1.89 

0.08 

2.01 

0.10 

1.79 

0.12 

1.66 

0.11 

1.91 

0.11 

Ore

’000 MT

 2 800 

 5 500 

 8 300 

 8 400 

 7 300 

 1 100 

 16 700 

Total copper

Acid soluble copper
Cobalt

%

%
%

3.20 

2.21 
0.14 

0.76 

0.50 
0.07 

1.58 

1.08 
0.10 

2.79 

1.86 
0.13 

0.96 

0.63 
0.07 

1.26 

0.85 
0.07 

1.90 

1.26 
0.10 

Ore

’000 MT

 13 800 

 3 600 

17 400 

 22 700 

 8 700 

 35 700 

 67 100 

Copper

%

2.15 

2.24 

2.17 

2.49 

2.62 

2.52 

2.53 

Ore

’000 MT

 2 700 

Total copper

Acid soluble copper

%

%

1.55 

0.98 

 500 

1.38 

0.93 

 3 100 

 9 600 

 2 900 

 1 700 

 14 100 

1.53 

0.97 

1.73 

0.95 

1.34 

0.85 

1.39 

0.89 

1.61 

0.92 

1  As at 31 December 2011. The information in the table above, in relation to mineral reserves and resources, is in compliance with the JORC 

Code and has been extracted without material adjustment from the Competent Person’s Report compiled for Mopani.

2  Remaining life of mine: 26 years for Nkana and 12 years for Mufulira. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licences: 31 March 2025 for 

both of these mines.

Competent Persons: the mineral reserve and resource estimates set out above were reviewed and approved by Willem van der Schyff of  Golder 
Associates. The reserves and resources estimates have been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code. Mr van der Schyff is a Competent 
Person as defined by JORC and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration 
and to the activity which he is undertaking. 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  71

 
 
LOS QUENUALES 1, 2

Commodity

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Reserves

Resources

Iscaycruz

Yauliyacu

Ore

Zinc

Lead

Copper

Silver

Ore

Zinc

Lead

Copper

Silver

’000 MT

 1 186 

 1 209 

 2 394 

%

%

%

toz/t

9.75

0.65

0.19

0.54

6.96

0.14

0.35

0.27

8.34

0.39

0.27

0.40

 2 099 

12.99

1.01

0.33

0.89

 4 501 

 10 092 

 16 691 

6.51

0.61

0.33

1.00

4.31

0.24

0.59

0.66

6.00

0.44

0.49

0.78

’000 MT

 1 082 

 2 837 

 3 919 

 1 686 

 8 865 

 14 315 

 24 866 

%

%

%

toz/t

2.31

0.90

0.23

3.04

2.13

0.88

0.20

3.20

2.18

0.89

0.21

3.16

3.67

1.26

0.37

4.71

3.40

1.31

0.37

5.96

3.35

1.20

0.34

5.19

3.39

1.24

0.35

5.43

1  As at 31 December 2011.
2  Remaining mine life: the expected life of Iscaycruz is two years based on reserves and twelve years based on resources. The expected life of 
Yauliyacu is three years based on reserves and 19 years based on resources. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licences: permanent.

Competent Persons: the mineral reserves and resources estimates set out above were reviewed and approved by Glencore Competent Person, 
Chris Emerson, and have been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code. Mr Emerson is a Competent Person as defined by the JORC Code. 
Mr Emerson is a fellow of the Geological Society of London and a member of AusIMM – The Minerals Institute and has more than ten years 
experience in underground polymetallic deposits in Latin America.

SINCHI WAYRA 1, 2

Commodity

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Reserves

Resources

Bolivar

Porco

Colquiri

Poopo

Caballo Blanco

Ore
Zinc
Lead
Silver

Ore
Zinc
Lead
Silver

Ore
Zinc
Tin

Ore
Zinc
Lead
Silver

Ore
Zinc
Lead
Silver

’000 MT
%
%
toz/t

’000 MT
%
%
toz/t

’000 MT
%
%

’000 MT
%
%
toz/t

’000 MT
%
%
toz/t

 163 
9.34
1.29
7.66

 239 
8.65
0.61
4.47

 753 
8.13
1.54

 104 
7.62
0.29
3.77

 67 
12.07
0.48
2.16

 293 
9.60
0.99
8.20

 482 
8.61
0.50
3.83

 802 
8.02
1.27

 180 
7.89
0.43
4.80

 286 
8.71
2.35
6.08

 456 
9.51
1.10
8.01

 721 
8.62
0.54
4.04

 1 555 
8.07
1.40

 284 
7.79
0.38
4.42

 353 
9.35
2.00
5.34

 670 
11.23
1.48
10.83

 597 
9.36
0.54
3.68

 1 511 
9.68
1.64

 286 
9.13
0.44
5.09

 376 
10.78
2.42
6.47

 608 
11.10
1.02
11.28

 383 
11.59
0.92
4.68

 727 
9.04
1.89

 255 
9.33
0.77
8.05

 256 
10.27
2.77
7.65

 2 389 
9.72
0.79
10.41

 1 033 
11.10
0.92
5.24

 1 943 
8.83
1.93

 874 
9.03
0.87
9.11

 430 
10.14
3.10
8.45

 3 667 
10.23
0.95
10.63

 2 013 
10.68
0.81
4.67

 4 182 
9.17
1.82

 1 415 
9.11
0.77
8.10

 1 062 
10.40
2.78
7.55

1  As at 31 December 2011.
2  Remaining mine life: the expected life of the mines as a group, considering current production capacities, is an average of two years based 
on reserves and seven years based on resources. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licenses: different for each mine, ranging from 
30 June 2014 to 16 January 2027 in respect of Porco, Colquiri and Poopo and permanent in respect of Bolivar and Caballo Blanco.

Competent Persons: the mineral reserves and resources estimates set out above were reviewed and approved by Glencore Competent Person, 
Chris Emerson, and have been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code. Mr Emerson is a Competent Person as defined by the JORC Code. 
Mr Emerson is a fellow of the Geological Society of London and a member of AusIMM – The Minerals Institute and has more than ten years 
experience in underground polymetallic deposits, predominantly in Latin America.

72  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

 
 
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

AR ZINC1, 2

Commodity

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Reserves

Resources

Aguilar

Ore

Zinc

Lead

Silver

’000 MT

 1 231 

 1 553 

 2 784 

 1 752 

 2 801 

 1 597 

 6 150 

%

%

toz/t

8.89

7.82

5.55

5.12

6.48

4.24

6.79

7.07

4.82

7.76

6.36

4.63

4.18

4.73

3.26

7.21

7.00

4.57

5.99

5.78

3.99

1  As at 31 December 2011.
2  Remaining mine life: approximately four years based on reserves and nine years based on resources. AR Zinc plans to continue exploration 

with the aim of extending the life of mine. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licences: permanent.

Competent Persons: the mineral reserves and resources estimates set out above were reviewed and approved by Glencore Competent Person, 
Chris Emerson, and have been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code. Mr Emerson is a Competent Person as defined by the JORC Code. 
Mr Emerson is a fellow of the Geological Society of London and a member of AusIMM – The Minerals Institute and has more than ten years 
experience in underground polymetallic deposits, predominantly in Latin America.

COBAR 1, 2

Commodity

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Reserves

Resources

Cobar

Ore

’000 MT

 1 591 

 3 485 

 5 076   

 2 362 

 3 454 

 5 502 

 11 318 

Copper

Silver

%

g/t

4.45

 16.5 

4.60

 17.9 

4.55

 17.5 

5.82

 19.0 

6.12

 24.0 

6.00

 20.0 

6.00

 21.0 

1  As at 31 December 2011.
2  Remaining mine life: current expected life of mine is approximately five years based on reserves and approximately 10 years based on re-
sources, although Cobar has previously been able to extend its expected life of mine through exploratory drilling in the area covered by its 
concession. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licences: 5 December 2028.

Competent Persons: the mineral reserves estimates set out above were reviewed and approved by Glencore Competent Person, Daniel How-
ard. The mineral resources estimates set out above were reviewed and approved by Glencore Competent Person, Jason Hosken. The mineral 
reserves and resources estimates have been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code. Mr Howard has been a member of AusIMM – The 
Minerals Institute since 2011 (graduate member for 10 years) and has more than 8 years of experience in underground polymetallic deposits in 
Australia. Mr Hosken has been a member of AusIMM – The Minerals Institute for more than 13 years and has more than 17 years of experience 
in underground polymetallic deposits in Australia.

PUNITAQUI 1, 2

Commodity

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Reserves

Resources

Punitaqui

Ore
Copper

Silver

’000 MT
%

toz/t

 2 164 
1.44

7.26

 2 687 
1.39

4.72

 4 852 
1.41

5.86

 2 513 
1.58

7.42

 3 748 
1.40

4.88

 1 103 
2.05

4.97

 7 364 
1.56

5.76

1  As at 31 December 2011.
2  Remaining mine life: approximately five years based on reserves and seven years based on resources. Punitaqui plans to continue exploration 

with the aim of extending the life of mine. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licences: permanent.

Competent Persons: the mineral reserves and resources estimates set out above were reviewed and approved by Glencore Competent Person, 
Chris Emerson, and have been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code. Mr Emerson is a Competent Person as defined by the JORC Code. 
Mr Emerson is a fellow of the Geological Society of London and a member of AusIMM – The Minerals Institute and has more than ten years 
experience in underground polymetallic deposits, predominantly in Latin America.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  73

 
 
 
PERKOA 1, 2

Commodity

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Reserves

Resources

Perkoa

Ore

Zinc

Silver

’000 MT

%

g/t

–

–

 6 300 

 6 300 

13.9

13.9

 430 

17.2

 41.4 

 6 290 

16.3

 35.0 

–

–

–

 6 720 

16.4

 35.4 

1  As at 31 December 2011 for 100% of the Perkoa Project. Reserve information produced July 2009, Resource information produced August 2005.
2  Remaining mine life: current expected life of mine is approximately 9 years based on reserves and approximately 9 years based on resources. 

Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licences: 20 March 2027.

Competent Persons: The ore reserves estimates set out above were reviewed and approved by Mr John Miles. The mineral resources estimates 
set out above were reviewed and approved by Dr Mike Armitage. Both Mr Miles and Dr Armitage are Members of the Institute of Materials, 
Minerals and Mining which is a ‘Recognised Overseas Professional Organisation’ (‘ROPO’), and both have sufficient experience which is relevant 
to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which they are undertaking to qualify as Competent 
Persons as defined in the JORC code. Dr Armitage is a fellow of the Geological Society of London and is the Chairman of SRK Consulting (UK) 
Ltd. Mr Miles is a Principal Associate of SRK Consulting (UK).

MURRIN MURRIN 1, 2

Commodity

Proved ³ Probable

Total Measured ³ Indicated

Inferred

Total

Reserves

Resources

Ore

’000 MT
Nickel Content, % 4
Cobalt Content, % 4
%

Nickel Cut Off Grade

150 408

35 774

186 182

184 582

72 914

10 479

267 974

1.00

0.072

0.99

0.074

1.00

0.072

1.01

0.073

0.8

1.00

0.079

0.8

0.94

0.059

0.8

1.00

0.074

1  As at 31 December 2011. The above Resources and Reserves have been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code.
2  Remaining mine life: at the forecast throughput capacity of 3.6 million tonnes per annum, the project’s operating life is in excess of 40 years. 
Expiry dates for relevant tenements differ for each tenement and range from 2012 to 2032. The Murrin Murrin 31 December 2011 Ore Reserve 
estimate is based on the optimised Base Case pit shells for Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources.

3  Includes scats and stockpiles.
4  Ore Reserve grades have been subject to the application of grade modifying factors. These have been derived from analysis of the previous 
two years mine-to-mill grade performance and result in grade modifying factors of 94% and 92% for nickel and cobalt respectively. The esti-
mated Ore Reserve tonnage has not been subjected to any modification.

Competent Persons: As at 31 December 2011 the information in this report relating to Exploration Results is based on information compiled 
by Mr David Selfe, the information relating to Ore Resources is based on information compiled by Mr Stephen King and Mr David Selfe, the 
information relating to Ore Reserves is based on information compiled by Mr Rod Greenup and the information relating to Metallurgical Results 
is based on information compiled by Mr Brad Adamson. Mr Selfe, Mr King, Mr Greenup and Mr Adamson are all Members of the Australasian 
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and are all full time employees of Minara Resources Ltd. Mr Selfe, Mr King, Mr Greenup and Mr Adamson 
all have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which 
they are undertaking in order to qualify as Competent Persons as defined in the JORC Code and all consent to the inclusion in this report of the 
matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

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ENERgy PROduCTS

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

1P

2P

3P

Aseng field 3
Alen field 4

 91 

 42 

 107 

 65 

 125 

 96 

1P

 22 

 10 

2P

 25 

 16 

3P

 30 

 24 

Reserves (MMstb) 1

Gross field

Glencore working interest 2

1  As at 31 December 2011. The reserves information set out above were reviewed and approved by RPS Energy Consultants Limited (“RPS”), has 
been prepared in accordance with the Petroleum Resources Management System (PRMS) and has been extracted without material adjustment 
from the RPS Report.

2  Glencore working interest in Block O is 25 per cent. and Glencore working interest in Block I is 23.75 per cent.
3  Includes oil and condensate.
4 Alen is 95% in Block O and 5% in Block I. 

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

1C

2C

3C

Liquids (MMstb) ²

Gas (Bscf)

52

1 679

107

2 452

192

3 433

1C

13

408

2C

26

597

3C

47

838

Contingent Resources 1

Gross field

Glencore working interest

1  As at 31 December 2011. The resources information set out above were reviewed and approved by RPS Energy Consultants Limited (“RPS”), 

has been prepared in accordance with PRMS and has been extracted without material adjustment from the RPS Report.

2  Includes oil and condensate.

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

Liquids (MMstb) ²

Gas (Bscf) ³

Prospective Resources (Unrisked) 1
Recoverable

Gross

Glencore working interest

P90

P50

P10

P90

P50

P10

57

399

162

789

447

1 600

14

96

39

192

108

390

1  As at 31 December 2011. The resources information set out above were reviewed and approved by RPS Energy Consultants Limited (“RPS”), 

has been prepared in accordance with PRMS and has been extracted without material adjustment from the RPS Report.

2  Includes oil and condensate.
³ Gas volumes include inerts.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  75

 
 
 
PRODECO 1

Calenturitas 2
La Jagua 3

Coal reserves (‘000 MT)

Coal resources (‘000 MT)

Commodity

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Coal

Coal

 119 000 

 102 000 

 221 000 

 170 000 

 170 000 

 70 000 

 410 000 

 98 000 

 22 000 

 120 000 

 107 000 

 23 000 

–

 130 000 

1  As at 31 December 2011. The information in the table above in relation to mineral reserves and resources is in compliance with the JORC Code.
2 Remaining mine life: expected to be 20 years. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licenses: 2035.
3  Remaining mine life: expected to be 20 years. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licenses: Carbones El Tesoro and Carbones de La 
Jagua expiring between 2027 and 2038, and Consorcio Minero Unido expiring in 2014 with renewal considered probable due to the fact that 
the integrated La Jagua mine plan has already been approved.

Competent Persons: The mineral reserves estimates set out above were reviewed and approved by Greg Eisenmenger of Minarco-MineConsult.  
The mineral resources estimates set out above were reviewed and approved by Kerry Whitby of McElroy Bryan Geological Services. The mineral 
reserves and resources estimates have been prepared in accordance with the JORC Code. Mr Eisenmenger and Mr Whitby are each Competent 
Persons as defined by JORC and have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under considera-
tion and to the activity which they are undertaking.

SHANDUKA 1, 2

Commodity

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Coal reserves (‘000 MT) 

Coal resources (‘000 MT)

Graspan

Townlands

Steelcoal reserve

Lakeside Opencut

Lakeside Underground

Leeuwfontein

Springlake Opencut

Springlake Underground

Argent

Springboklaagte ³

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

18 823 

15 466 

9 927 

–

–

–

 950 

12 068 

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

18 823 

15 466 

9 927 

–

–

–

 950 

29 583 

21 379 

13 352 

 1 680 

 3 470 

 5 260 

 2 060 

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 29 583 

 21 379 

 13 352 

 1 680 

 3 470 

 5 260 

 2 060 

12 068 

 12 470 

 7 500 

 17 110 

 37 080 

–

–

 21 844 

–

 21 844 

 36 600 

36 600 

79 810 

103 930 

 5 530 

189 270 

1  As at 31 December 2011.
2  Remaining mine life: individual mining operations have expected lives ranging from three to twelve years, based on their reserves. However, 
the Springboklaagte deposit extends Shanduka’s expected life by approximately 20 to 25 years. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession 
licenses: different for each mine, ranging from October 2015 to March 2022 in respect of Graspan, Townlands, Steelcoal reserve, Lakeside 
and Springlake. Leeuwfontein is still what is known as an ‘‘old order right’’ or mining license, with applications pending for conversion into 
a ‘‘new order right’’ or mining license (only upon conversion will the expiry date be known). All other mining rights are “new order rights”. 
Springboklaagte is still a prospecting right, which are granted for five year periods and are renewable for a further three year period. The main 
prospecting right expired on 3 August 2011 and an application for the renewal of the prospecting right was lodged on 3 June 2011. Further to 
this an application for a mining right was also lodged in April 2011. Argent has a prospecting right valid until 29 June 2013.

3  Springboklaagte is held as a Joint Venture between Shanduka and Umcebo, 100% of the reserves and resources are included in the table 

above.

Competent Persons: the mineral reserves and resources estimates set out above were compiled and approved by Karin van der Merwe, Gerrit 
Cronjé, Burger du Toit and Thys de Bruin of Shanduka Coal (Pty) Ltd. The reserves and resources estimates have been prepared in accordance 
with the South African Code for the Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (the SAMREC Code). All are 
Competent Persons as defined by SAMREC and each have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of 
deposit under consideration and to the activity which they are undertaking.

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Coal reserves (‘000 MT) 

Coal resources (‘000 MT)

Commodity

Proved Probable

Total Measured Indicated

Inferred

Total

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

Coal

 15 311 

 2 600 

 2 671 

 959 

–

 52 590 

–

 – 

–

–

–

 15 311 

 20 200 

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 2 600 

 2 671 

 959 

–

 52 590 

–

–

–

–

 3 000 

 4 500 

 1 700 

 12 700 

 98 300 

 700 

 4 000 

–

 600 

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 20 200 

 3 600 

 4 500 

 1 700 

 5 638 

 18 338 

–

–

–

 98 300 

 700 

 4 000 

367 100

114 350

177 000

181 600

107 710

–

8 500

6 640

 36 600 

36 600 

79 810 

103 930 

 5 530 

189 270 

UMCEBO 1, 2

Middelkraal

Kleinfontein

Klippan Opencut

Klippan Underground

Kleinfontein Jicama

Wonderfontein

Norwesco

Doornrug

Hendrina

Belfast

Springboklaagte ³

1  As at 31 December 2011.
2  Remaining mine life: individual mining operations have expected lives ranging from three to twelve years, based on their reserves. However, the 
Springboklaagte deposit extends Umcebo’s expected life by approximately 20 to 25 years. Expiry date of relevant mining/concession licenses: 
different for each mine, ranging from October 2015 to March 2022 in respect of Middelkraal, Kleinfontein, Klippan, Norwesco and Doornrug. 
Springboklaagte is still a prospecting right, which are granted for five year periods and are renewable for a further three year period. The main 
prospecting right expired on 3 August 2011 and an application for the renewal of the prospecting right was lodged on 3 June 2011. Further to 
this an application for a mining right was also lodged in April 2011. Wonderfontein prospecting right lapsed on 17 November 2011 however a 
renewal was lodged on 28 July 2011. A mining right application was submitted and granted in February 2012, but is yet to be executed. 

3  Springboklaagte is held as a Joint Venture between Shanduka and Umcebo, 100% of the reserves and resources are included in the table 

above.

Competent Persons: the mineral reserves and resources estimates set out above were compiled and approved by Karin van der Merwe, Gerrit 
Cronjé, Burger du Toit and Thys de Bruin of Shanduka Coal (Pty) Ltd. The reserves and resources estimates have been prepared in accordance 
with SAMREC. All are Competent Persons as defined by SAMREC and each have sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of minerali-
sation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which they are undertaking.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  77

 
Corporate 
GovernanCe

3 | Corporate Governance 

  3.1 | Chairman’s Introduction  
  3.2 | Board of Directors 
  3.3 | Corporate governance report 
  3.4 | Directors’ remuneration report 
  3.5 | Directors’ report 

80
81
84
91
97

3.1 | Chairman’s Introduction

Welcome to our first Corporate Governance report.

In preparing this report we have been mindful of the conflicting challenges of governance reporting – the 
objective on the one hand of keeping the report concise and the aim on the other of providing a full and 
complete report.

As Glencore prepared for its London and Hong Kong listings in 2011, the Company has implemented a struc-
ture, both organisational and operational, by which it has sought to be fully compliant with the UK Corporate 
Governance Code. This report details this implementation, but I would first like to highlight the following:

•  The Board consists of six independent Non-Executive Directors and two Executive Directors.
•  Each Non-Executive Director has a proven track record in business at a high level and expertise of direct 

relevance to the Company.

•  As  large  shareholders,  the  interests  of  Glencore’s  Executive  Directors  are  aligned  closely  with  those  of 

other shareholders.

•  The  Board  and  Committee  structure  properly  required  of  a  large  listed  company  has  been  effectively 
implemented in practice, with Board Committees conducting their duties rigorously and thoroughly. The 
Non-Executives have provided critical challenge and support to the areas of the Group which they believe 
are of particular importance. In particular our Audit Committee has taken a strong interest in the risk and 
internal audit functions. Our HSEC Committee has also provided considerable input and insight to assist 
and guide the progress the Company is making to improve its safety performance and on various other 
material sustainability issues.

•  We have appointed a Company Secretary who has considerable PLC experience to ensure that the Chairman 
and other Non-Executive Directors have the support and assistance required to implement our responsi-
bilities effectively.

•  Although our Board has been operating for less than a year we carried out a comprehensive evaluation 
exercise with issues for improvement identified. We have sought to provide high quality information to 
the market and constructive engagement with shareholders. We have also sought to engage with others 
who are relevant to or impacted by the Group’s activities including Non-Governmental Organisations and 
relevant regulators.

•  We intend to reflect regularly upon developments in corporate governance best practice. In particular we 

recognise that we should seek greater diversity, particularly gender, within our Board.

We have sought to report on our governance in a user friendly and direct a manner as possible, giving a 
clear summary of the considered leadership which the Board and its Committees provides to the Group. 
We would welcome feedback on this report.

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3.2 | Board of Directors

All of the Directors were appointed in March or April 2011, shortly prior to the Company’s IPO.

SIMON MURRAY 4
Chairman (age 71)

Appointed to the Board as Non-Executive Chairman in April 2011. He is the founder and current chairman 
of GEMS Limited, a private equity investment group operating across Asia. Previously, Mr Murray led Jar-
dine Matheson’s engineering and trading operations from 1966 to 1980, after which he set up Davenham 
Investments, a project advisory company. From 1984 until 1993, Mr Murray was group managing director of 
Hutchison Whampoa, leading its entry into the mobile telecommunication business, developing its energy 
business and expanding its container and port operations. Mr Murray served as a member of the Hutchison 
Whampoa Board until May 2007. From 1994 to 1997, Mr Murray was the executive chairman of Deutsche Bank 
group for the Asia Pacific region. 

Mr Murray is currently a member of the Board of Directors of a number of public companies including IRC, 
Essar  Energy,  Orient  Overseas,  Wing  Tai  Properties,  Greenheart,  Compagnie  Financiere  Richemont  and 
Sino Forest Corporation. Mr Murray was a non-executive director of Vodafone between July 2007 and July 
2010. In 1993, Mr Murray was appointed a CBE in honour of his contribution to the Hong Kong community. 
Mr Murray has also been awarded the Order of Merit of the French Republic and is a Chevalier de la Legion 
d’honneur. He holds an honorary B.A. degree in law from Bath University and attended the Stanford Execu-
tive Programme (SEP) in the U.S.

IVAN GLASENBERG 2, 4
Chief Executive Officer (age 55)

Ivan Glasenberg joined Glencore in April 1984 and has been Chief Executive Officer since January 2002. 
Mr Glasenberg initially spent three years working in the coal/coke commodity department in South Africa 
as a marketer, before spending two years in Australia as head of the Asian coal/coke commodity division. 
Between 1988 and 1989, he was based in Hong Kong as manager and head of Glencore’s Hong Kong and 
Beijing offices, as well as head of coal marketing in Asia, where his responsibilities included overseeing the 
Asian coal marketing business of Glencore and managing the administrative functions of the Hong Kong 
and Beijing offices. In January 1990, he was made responsible for the worldwide coal business of Glencore 
for both marketing and industrial assets, and remained in this role until he became Chief Executive Officer 
in January 2002.

Mr Glasenberg is a Chartered Accountant of South Africa and holds a Bachelor of Accountancy from the 
University of Witwatersrand. Mr Glasenberg also holds an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California. 
He is currently a director of Xstrata plc and United Company Rusal plc and JSC Zarubezhneft. Before join-
ing Glencore, Mr Glasenberg worked for five years at Levitt Kirson Chartered Accountants in South Africa.

STEVEN KALMIN
Chief Financial Officer (age 41)

Steven  Kalmin  joined  Glencore  in  September  1999  as  general  manager  of  finance  and  treasury  functions 
at Glencore’s coal industrial unit (now part of Xstrata). Mr Kalmin moved to Glencore’s Baar head office in 
October 2003 to oversee Glencore’s accounting and reporting functions, becoming Chief Financial Officer 
in June 2005.

Mr  Kalmin  holds  a  Bachelor  of  Business  from  the  University  of  Technology,  Sydney  and  is  a  member  of 
the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and the Financial Services Institute of Australasia. He is 
currently a director of Century Aluminum Co. Before joining Glencore, Mr Kalmin worked for nine years at 
Horwath Chartered Accountants in Sydney, leaving the firm as a director.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  81

ANTHONY HAYWARD 2, 3, 4 *
Senior Independent Director (age 54)

He is CEO of Genel Energy plc and a member of the European advisory Board of AEA. He was group chief 
executive of BP plc from 2007 to 2010, having joined BP in 1982 as a rig geologist in the North Sea. Following 
a series of technical and commercial roles in Europe, Asia and South America, he returned to London in 1997 
as a member of the upstream executive Committee. He became group treasurer in 2000, chief executive for 
BP upstream activities and member of the main Board of BP in 2003. Dr. Hayward studied geology at Aston 
University in Birmingham and completed a PhD at Edinburgh University. He is also a fellow of the Royal Soci-
ety of Edinburgh and holds honorary doctorates from the University of Edinburgh, Aston University and the 
University of Birmingham.

LI NING 4
Non-Executive Director (age 55)

Li Ning has been an executive director of Henderson Land Development Company Limited since 1992. He 
was also an executive director of Henderson Investment Company Limited from 1990 to 2010. He has also 
been an executive director of Hong Kong (Ferry) Holdings Company Limited since 1989. Prior to joining the 
Henderson group, he began his career in the banking industry with Chekiang First Bank Limited.

Mr Li holds a B.Sc. degree from Babson College. Mr Li also graduated in 1983 from the University of South-
ern California with an M.B.A. degree.

PETER COATES 1, 2*, 4
Non-Executive Director (age 66)

Currently a non-executive director and chairman of Santos Ltd., and a non-executive director of Amalgamat-
ed Holdings. Until recently, he was a non-executive director and chairman of Minara, a position he had held 
since May 2008. Mr Coates has occupied many senior positions in a diverse range of resource companies, 
including those mining silver, lead, zinc, nickel, iron ore, bauxite and coal. Mr Coates was previously the chief 
executive of Xstrata’s coal business, having joined the company in 2002 when Glencore sold its Australian 
and  South  African  coal  assets  to  Xstrata.  From  January  2008  to  June  2009  Mr  Coates  was  non-executive 
chairman of Xstrata Australia. Mr Coates is a past chairman of the Minerals Council of Australia, the NSW 
Minerals Council and the Australian Coal Association.

He was appointed to the Office of the Order of Australia in June 2009 and was recently awarded the Aus-
tralasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Medal for 2010. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining 
Engineering from the University of New South Wales.

LEONHARD FISCHER 1*, 3
Non-Executive Director (age 49)

Leonhard Fischer was appointed chief executive officer of RHJ International in January 2009, having been 
co-chief executive officer since 2007. He is also chairman of the Kleinwort Benson group and is a member of 
the Board of Directors at Julius Baer, AXA Konzern and Arecon.

Mr Fischer was previously a non-executive director and member of the audit Committee at 3W Power Solu-
tions S.A, and also served as chief executive officer of Winterthur group from 2003 to 2006. Mr Fischer was 
a member of the executive Board of Credit Suisse from 2003 to March 2007, having joined the firm from 
Allianz AG, where he had led the Corporates and Markets Division. Prior to this, he had been a member of 
the executive Board of Dresdner Bank in Frankfurt. Mr Fischer holds an M.A. in Finance from the University 
of Georgia.

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WILLIAM MACAULAY 1, 3*
Non-Executive Director (age 66)

He is the chairman and chief executive officer of First Reserve Corporation, a private equity investment firm 
focused on the energy industry, and has been with the company since its founding in 1983. Prior to joining 
First Reserve he was a co-founder of Meridien Capital Company, a private equity buyout firm. From 1972 
to 1982, he was with Oppenheimer & Co., where he served as director of corporate finance with direct re-
sponsibility for the firm’s buyout business. He also served president of Oppenheimer Energy Corporation.  
Mr Macaulay is chairman of the Board of Dresser-Rand and is a director of Weatherford International. He also 
serves on numerous private energy company Boards. In addition, he is chairman of the Board of the Rogosin 
Medical Institute and chairman of the advisory Board of the City University of New York.

Mr Macaulay holds a B.B.A. degree, Magna Cum Laude in Economics from City College of New York, and an 
M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He also has received an Honorary Doctor 
of Humane Letters degree from Baruch College.

JOHN BURTON
Company Secretary (age 47) 

John Burton was appointed Company Secretary in September 2011. He was formerly Company Secretary 
and General Counsel of Informa plc and before that a partner at CMS Cameron McKenna in London special-
ising in corporate law. 

Committee membership is designated as follows: 
1 Audit 
2 Health, Safety, Environment and Communities (HSEC)
3 Remuneration 
4 Nominations
* denotes Committee chair

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  83

3.3 | Corporate governance report

BOARD GOVERNANCE

Overview
Prior  to  28  April  2011  when  a  compliant  structure  was  estab-
lished,  the  Company  did  not  comply  with  the  UK  Corporate 
Governance  Code  (the  Code)  as  the  Company  was  a  private 
concern wholly owned by its employees. It has since that date 
complied with all relevant provisions set out in the Code. The 
governance section seeks to set out how Glencore has applied 
the main principles set out in the Code in a manner which ena-
bles shareholders to evaluate how these principles have been 
applied.

The  disclosures  in  this  report  relate  to  our  responsibilities  for 
preparing  the  annual  report  (including  compliance  with  the 

Code  to  the  extent  required),  our  report  on  the  effectiveness 
of the Group’s risk management and internal control systems, 
the functioning of our audit Committee and our going concern 
statement.

Details of the Company’s significant shareholders, voting rights, 
directors’  powers  and  rules  concerning  the  appointment  and 
replacement of directors and amendments to the articles of as-
sociation are either contained in this section 3.3 or section 3.4. 
Glencore’s  Board  comprises  six  Non-Executive  Directors  (in-
cluding the Chairman) and two Executive Directors. A list of the 
Directors, with brief biographical details, is provided on pages 
81– 83. For the Chairman, those details include his other signifi-
cant commitments.

Board of Directors

Independent Non-Executive Chairman

Executive directors

Independent directors

CEO

CFO

Audit
Committee

Remuneration
Committee

Nominations
Committee

HSEC 
Committee

Business segment heads

Metals and minerals

Energy products

Agricultural products

Zinc/copper/lead 
Alumina/aluminium
Ferroalloys/nickel/cobalt/iron ore

Oil
Coal/coke

Grains
Oils/oilseeds
Cotton/sugar

NB: All board committees are chaired by independent directors

Risk management

Internal audit

Corporate finance

Legal & compliance

Sustainability

Treasury, accounting 
& tax

IT

Human resources

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Glencore has established a clear division between the respec-
tive  responsibilities  of  the  Non-Executive  Chairman  of  the 
Board,  and  the  Chief  Executive  Officer,  which  are  set  out  in 
a  schedule  of  responsibilities  that  has  been  approved  by  the 
Board.  While  the  Non-Executive  Chairman  is  responsible  for 
leading the Board’s discussions and decision-making, the Chief 
Executive Officer is responsible for leading Glencore’s operat-
ing  performance  and  day-to-day  management.  This,  coupled 
with the schedule of reserved matters describes below, ensures 
that no individual has unfettered powers of decision.

Non-executive Directors
The Company’s Non-Executive Directors provide a broad range 
of skills and experience to the Board which assists in both their 
roles  in  formulating  the  Company’s  strategy  and  in  providing 

constructive challenge to the Executive Directors. All of them 
are regarded by the Company as independent Non-Executive 
Directors  within  the  meaning  of  ‘‘independent’’  as  defined  in 
the Code and free from any business or other relationship which 
could materially interfere with the exercise of their independent 
judgment. This view has been taken having regard to all facts 
including the following: 

William  Macaulay  is  chairman  and  chief  executive  of  First  Re-
serve Corporation (First Reserve). First Reserve was on Mr Ma-
caulay’s  appointment  to  the  Board  the  holder  of  a  tranche  of 
$  2.3  billion  Convertible  Bonds  due  2014  issued  by  Glencore 
 Finance  (Europe)  S.A.  (First  Reserve  has  subsequently  sold 
these  bonds  and  now  holds  shares,  or  economic  interests  in 
respect  of  shares,  totalling  157,996,976  in  number,  as  further 
 detailed on page 98).

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overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Peter Coates was until April 2011 the independent non-execu-
tive chairman of Minara, while that company was 70.6% owned 
by Glencore, and was until August 2009 a non-executive chair-
man of Xstrata Australia and a former chief executive of Xstrata 
Coal, part of Xstrata plc, a listed entity in which Glencore holds a 
34.5% interest. Mr Coates joined Xstrata in 2002 with Glencore’s 
coal assets in Australia and South Africa when they were sold to 
Xstrata for cash and shares simultaneous with Xstrata’s primary 
listing and capital raising in London.

Board Committees
The Board has established the following Committees to assist 
it in exercising its functions: Audit, Nomination. Remuneration 
and Health, Safety, Environmental and Communities (HSEC). A 
report from each Committee is set out on pages 88 to 96.

Each Committee reports to, and has its terms of reference ap-
proved by, the Board and the minutes of the Committee meet-
ings  are  reviewed  by  the  Board.  These  terms  of  reference  are 
available at www.glencore.com/corporate-governance.php.

Board Meetings
The Board has approved a formal schedule which sets out those 
matters which are reserved for its decision making alone such 
as  strategy,  the  annual  budget  and  material  acquisitions  and 
disposals.

2011 was obviously an unusual year given that the Company was 
incorporated and listed in the first half of the year. In future the 
Board plans to have a minimum of 5 meetings a year with addi-
tional meetings as required. The Board will usually meet at the 
Company’s  headquarters  in  Baar,  Switzerland  although  it  may 
occasionally meet elsewhere.

The  Board  and  its  Committees  have  standing  agenda  items 
to cover their proposed business at their scheduled meetings 
which in the Board’s case includes a review of the latest financial 
position and current trading and an analysis of the work being 
undertaken by its Committees. The Chairman seeks to ensure 
that the very significant work of the Committees feeds into, and 
benefits as to feedback from, the full Board. Most Board meet-
ings also benefit from a presentation by the head of a division 
and some technical and investor relations updates.

The  Chairman  holds  meetings  with  the  Non-executive  Direc-
tors without the Executive directors present, and at least once a 
year the Senior Non-executive Director chairs a meeting of the 
Non-executive Directors without the Chairman present.

Attendance during the year for all scheduled Board and Board Committee meetings is given in the table below:

Simon Murray

Ivan Glasenberg

Steven Kalmin

Peter Coates

Leonhard Fischer

Anthony Hayward

William Macaulay

Li Ning

Board ¹
of 4

Audit
of 2

Nominations
of 3

Remuneration 
of 2

HSEC
of 3

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

–

–

–

2

2

–

2

–

3

3

–

–

–

3

–

3

–

–

–

–

2

2

2

–

–

3

–

3

–

3

–

–

¹ Excludes meetings held in relation to the IPO.  

Appointment and re-election of Directors
The work of the Nominations Committee in respect of the ap-
pointment and reappointment of Directors is contained in that 
Committee’s report, below.

muneration Report. No other contract with the Company or any 
subsidiary  undertaking  of  the  Company  in  which  any  Director 
was materially interested subsisted during or at the end of the 
financial year. 

All  members  of  the  Board  will  be  offering  themselves  for  re-
election  at  the  2012  Annual  General  Meeting.  It  is  part  of  the 
Chairman’s role to discuss the time commitment and contribu-
tion  of  each  Non-executive  Director  as  part  of  his  individual 
appraisal, and the Nomination Committee unanimously recom-
mends the reappointment of each of the Directors.

All  of  the  Directors  have  service  agreements  or  letters  of  ap-
pointment and the details of their terms are set out in the Re-

Information and professional development
It  is  considered  of  great  importance  that  the  Non-Executive 
Directors  (1)  attain  a  good  knowledge  of  the  Company  and 
its business and (2) allocate sufficient time to Glencore to dis-
charge those responsibilities effectively. New Directors receive 
a  full,  formal  and  tailored  induction  on  joining  the  Board,  in-
cluding  meetings  with  senior  management  and  advisers  and 
visits to the Group’s operational locations. The Board calendar 
is planned to ensure that Directors are briefed on a wide range 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  85

 
 
of topics. Directors are also given the opportunity to visit the 
Group’s  industrial  assets  and  discuss  aspects  of  the  business 
with  employees,  and regularly meet  the  heads of  the  Group’s 
main  departments.  As  well  as  internal  briefings,  Directors  at-
tend appropriate external seminars and briefings.

well as a common accounting policies and procedures manual. 
Management monitors the publication of new reporting stand-
ards and work closely with their external auditors in evaluating 
the impact of these standards.

All Directors have access to the advice and services of the Com-
pany  Secretary,  who  is  responsible  to  the  Board  for  ensuring 
the  Board  procedures  are  complied  with,  and  have  access  to 
independent  and  professional  advice  at  the  Company’s  ex-
pense, where they judge this to be necessary to discharge their 
responsibilities as Directors.

Board performance evaluation
Since  Glencore  has  a  new  Board,  it  was  thought  appropriate 
that  the  first  evaluation  process  should  be  an  internal  one.  By 
using  assessment  questionnaires  prepared  by  the  Company 
Sec retary  and  the  Chairman,  all  Directors  graded  areas  such 
as  performance  of  the  Board  and  its  Committees,  the  effec-
tiveness of the Chairman, Executive and Non- Executive Direc-
tors, the monitoring of operational performance and Corporate 
Governance,  as  well  as  leadership  and  culture.  The  Company 
Secretary  and  the  Chairman  provided  a  report  of  the  results, 
which  were  discussed  by  the  Board  and  by  each  Committee. 
The  Board  and  the  Committees  concluded  that  overall  they 
functioned  effectively.  However,  matters  for  improvement  con-
cerning  planning,  logistics,  content  of  meetings,  board  papers 
and the need for additional directors were discussed and agreed.

We have reviewed the interests declared by the Directors which 
could conflict with those of the Company, and we are satisfied 
that the Board’s powers to authorise potential conflicts is oper-
ating effectively.

Remuneration
Remuneration is covered in the Remuneration report on pages 
91 to 96 which includes a description of the work of the Remu-
neration Committee.

ACCOUNTABILITY AND AUDIT

Financial reporting

The Group has in place a comprehensive financial review cycle, 
which  includes  a  detailed  annual  budgeting  process  where 
business units prepare budgets for approval by the Board. The 
Group uses a large number of performance indicators to meas-
ure both operational and financial activity in the business. De-
pending on the measure these are reported and reviewed on a 
daily, weekly or monthly basis. In addition management in the 
business receives a weekly and monthly pack of indicators which 
are the basis of regular operational meetings, where corrective 
action is taken if necessary. At a Group level a well-developed 
management accounts pack including income statements, bal-
ance sheets, cash flow statement as well as key ratios related to 
capital productivity is prepared and reviewed monthly by man-
agement. As part of the monthly reporting process a forecast of 
the current year numbers is carried out. To ensure consistency 
of  reporting  the  Group  has  a  global  consolidation  system  as 

Risk management and internal control
The Board has applied Principle C.2 of the Code by establishing 
a continuous process for identifying, evaluating and managing 
the risks that are considered significant by the Group in accord-
ance  with  the  revised  Turnbull  Guidance  on  Internal  Control 
published by the Financial Reporting Council. This process has 
been in place for the period under review and up to the date 
of  approval  of  the  Annual  Report  and  Accounts.  The  process 
is designed to manage rather than eliminate risk, and can only 
provide reasonable and not absolute assurance against mate-
rial misstatement or loss. The directors confirm that they have 
reviewed the effectiveness of the risk management and internal 
control systems. This review excludes associates of the Group 
as Glencore does not have the ability to dictate or modify the 
internal  controls  of  these  entities.  This  report  describes  how 
the  effectiveness  of  the  Group’s  structure  of  internal  controls 
including  financial,  operational  and  compliance  controls  and 
risk management systems is reviewed.

1) Approach to risk management
Effective  risk  management  is  crucial  in  helping  the  Group  to 
achieve its objectives of preserving its overall financial strength 
for the benefit of all shareholders and other stakeholders and 
safeguarding  its  ability  to  continue  as  a  going  concern  while 
generating sustainable long term profitability. Spanning the or-
ganisational structure, Glencore’s disciplined approach to risk 
management and control originates with strategic responsibil-
ity in the hands of the Board, which also retains operational au-
thority on matters exceeding agreed thresholds of materiality. 
The  Board  retains  final  authority  for  assessing  and  approving 
the  Group’s  overall  risk  appetite  and  sets  overall  limits  which 
are subject for review annually. Through delegation to the Audit 
Committee for oversight and to senior management for day-to-
day  operational  issues,  an  effective  risk  management  govern-
ance apparatus has been established for the Group. 

The  Audit  Committee  retains  responsibility  for  reviewing  the 
overall effectiveness of Glencore’s risk management approach 
and systems.

As  a  primary  oversight  and  control,  the  CEO  engages  in  a 
regular and ongoing interrogatory exchange with the manage-
ment team and he is supported in this challenge process by the 
Group’s organisational structure with its concentration of major 
decision making, as well as by the alignment of the economic 
interest of key senior staff with the medium term performance 
of  the  company  through  shareholding  lock-ins.  The  CRO,  the 
Group Risk Management Team and the multi-sourced reporting 
available to them help to equip the CEO and senior manage-
ment with appropriate analysis in order to allow them to con-
duct appropriate risk management of the group.

The CRO and Group Risk Management Team act as facilitators 
of the control process with elements of consolidated reporting 
including  counterparty  credit  exposure,  the  co-ordination  of 

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Group and departmental Value at Risk (“VaR”), stress and sce-
nario testing amongst others. The departments and Group risk 
team are engaged in an ongoing dialogue concerning general 
aspects of risk management policy and the central team pro-
vide oversight and input on those aspects of risk management 
and risk mitigation that remain the functional responsibility of 
the Group’s’individual departments. The internal audit, compli-
ance and business ethics Committees also play key roles in man-
aging Group operational risk and verifying process controls.

Glencore recognises the need for continuous focus on this key 
area in the context of both the evolution of its business risks, and 
the  unpredictable  and  volatile  global  economic  environment. 
The Group continues to maintain and expand the resources and 
information  systems  used  in  its  centralised  risk  management, 
whilst also adopting and following policies which are intended 
to mitigate and manage market price and credit risks.

2) Risk assessment and control tools
Glencore’s finance and risk professionals, working in coordina-
tion with the Group’s departments, monitor and report regularly 
to management on the financial risks and exposures Glencore is 
facing. The Group monitors its commodity price risk exposure by 
using  a  VaR  computation  assessing  open  commodity  positions 
which  are  subject  to  price  risks.  The  credit  quality  of  its  coun-
terparts  is  actively  and  continuously  monitored  by  the  Group 
through internal reviews and a credit scoring process which in-
cludes, where available, public credit ratings. The Group makes 
active  and  widespread  use  of  credit  enhancement  through  the 
use  of  products  such  as  letters  of  credit  and  credit  insurance 
products to help manage and mitigate credit risk exposures.

VaR is a risk measurement technique which Glencore uses to 
monitor  and  limit  its  primary  market  exposure  related  to  its 
physical  marketing  exposures  and  related  derivative  posi-
tions.  VaR  estimates  the  potential  loss  in  value  of  open  po-
sitions that could occur as a result of adverse market move-
ments  over  a  defined  time  horizon,  given  a  specific  level  of 
confidence. The methodology is a statistically defined, prob-
ability based approach that takes into account market volatili-
ties, as well as risk diversification benefits by recognising off-
setting positions and correlations between commodities and 
markets. In this way, risks can be compared across all markets 
and  commodities  and  risk  exposures  can  be  aggregated  to 
derive a single risk value. 

lines  where  price  transparency  is  less  dependable.  Glencore 
reports VaR across the Group and also by commodity depart-
ment, as well as at a variety of more detailed levels.

VaR  does  not  purport  to  represent  actual  gains  or  losses  in 
fair  value  on  earnings  to  be  incurred  by  Glencore,  nor  does 
Glencore  claim  that  these  VaR  results  are  indicative  of  future 
market  movements  or  representative  of  any  actual  impact  on 
its future results. VaR should always be viewed in the context of 
its limitations; notably, the use of historical data as a proxy for 
estimating future events, market illiquidity risks and risks asso-
ciated with longer time horizons as well as tail risks. The Group 
recognises  these  limitations  and  so  complements  and  refines 
its risk analysis through the use of stress and scenario analysis. 
Glencore  regularly  backtests  its  VaR  to  establish  adequacy  of 
accuracy and to facilitate analysis of breaks.

Whilst it is Glencore’s policy to substantially hedge its commod-
ity price risks, there remains the possibility that the hedging in-
struments chosen may not always provide effective mitigation 
of the underlying price risk. The hedging instruments available 
to the marketing businesses may differ in specific characteristics 
to the risk exposure to the hedged, resulting in an ongoing and 
unavoidable basis risk exposure. Residual basis risk exposures 
represent a key focus point for Glencore’s commodity depart-
ment teams who actively engage in the management of such.

Internal and External Audit
Glencore has a dedicated Internal Audit function reporting di-
rectly to the Audit Committee. The role of Internal Audit is to 
evaluate  and  improve  the  effectiveness  of  risk  management, 
control, and governance processes. 

Internal Audit reviews areas of potential risk within the business 
and suggests control solutions to mitigate any exposures. The 
Audit Committee is regularly informed about audits performed 
and relevant findings, as well as the progress on implementing 
the actions agreed with management.

During each financial year the Audit Committee reviews the ex-
ternal  and  internal  audit  work  programmes  and  considers  re-
ports from internal and external auditors on the system of inter-
nal control and any material control weaknesses. It also received 
responses  from  management  regarding  the  actions  taken  on 
issues identified in audit reports.

The Board has approved a one day, 95% VaR limit of $ 100 mil-
lion  which  is  subject  to  review  and  approval  on  an  annual  ba-
sis. The purpose of this Group limit is to assist senior manage-
ment in controlling the Group’s overall risk profile. During 2011 
Glencore’s  average  VaR  was  approximately  $  39  million.  This 
represents a decrease from the actual average of approximate-
ly $ 43 million in the prior year.

Glencore’s VaR computation covers its business in the key base 
metals, coal, oil/natural gas and the main risks in the Agricultur-
al Products department (grain, oil seeds, sugar and cotton). It 
assesses open priced positions and those which are subject to 
price risk, but due to a lack of liquid terminal market, Glencore 
does  not  extend  its  VaR  calculation  to  a  number  of  business 

The  Group’s  policy  on  non-audit  services  provided  by  the  ex-
ternal auditors is designed to ensure the external auditor’s in-
dependence  and  objectivity  is  safeguarded.  A  specified  wide 
range of services may not be provided as they have the poten-
tial  to  impair  the  external  auditor’s  independence  (Excluded 
Services).  The  Audit  Committee’s  approval  is  required  for  (1) 
any  Excluded  Service  (2)  and  other  engagement  where  either 
(i) the fee is contingent, (ii) the fee may exceed $ 500,000, or (iii) 
where the fees for all non-audit work may exceed $ 15 million. 
The  external  auditors  were  requested  to  provide  certain  non-
audit services when it was concluded that they were the most 
appropriate supplier due to efficiency and status as a leading 
firm  for  the  specific  services  being  requested.  For  2011  the  to-
tal non-audit fees paid to the auditors were $ 17.9 million which 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  87

principally related to the auditors’ role as Reporting Accountant 
in  connection  with  the  Listing;  further  details  are  contained  in 
note 25 to the financial statements.

Relationships with shareholders
The  Board  aims  to  present  a  balanced  and  clear  view  of  the 
Group in communications with shareholders and believes that 
being transparent in describing how we see the market and the 
prospects for the business is extremely important. 

We  communicate  with  shareholders  in  a  number  of  different 
ways. The formal reporting of our full and half year results and 
interim management statements are a combination of presen-
tations, group calls and one to one meetings. The full and half 
year reporting is then followed by investor meetings in a variety 
of locations where we have institutional shareholders. We also 
regularly  meet  with  existing  and  prospective  shareholders  to 
update  them  on  our  latest  performance  or  to  introduce  them 
to the Company and periodically arrange a visit to the business 
to give analysts and major shareholders a better understanding 
of how we manage our business. These visits and meetings are 
principally undertaken by the CEO, CFO and Head of Investor Re-
lations. In addition, many major shareholders have meetings with 
the Chairman and appropriate senior personnel of the Group in-
cluding the Company Secretary and Head of Sustainability.

The Board receives regular updates on the views of sharehold-
ers through a briefing, which is a standing agenda item for all 
Board  meetings,  from  the  Company’s  Head  of  Investor  Rela-
tions, which is supplemented by input from the Chairman, CEO 
and CFO. In addition, the Senior Independent Director is avail-
able to meet shareholders if they wish to raise issues separately 
from the arrangements as described above.

The  Company’s  Annual  General  Meeting  will  be  held  in  Zug  on 
Wednesday, 9 May. Full details of the meeting are set out in the 
letter from the Chairman and Notice of Meeting sent with this re-
port. Shareholders unable to attend are encouraged to vote using 
the proxy card mailed to them or electronically as detailed in the 
Notice of Meeting. All documents relating to the AGM are avail-
able on the Company’s website at: www.glencore.com. 

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

Chairman
Leonhard Fischer  

Other members
Peter Coates
William Macaulay

All members of the Committee were appointed prior to the IPO 
and have served for the rest of the year. Each is considered to 
be an independent Non-Executive Director and deemed to be 
financially literate by virtue of their business experience. Each 
of Leonhard Fischer and William Macaulay is considered by the 
Board to have recent and relevant financial experience and has 
competence  in  accounting.  The  Committee  met  twice  during 
the year and all the Committee members attended both meet-
ings. John Burton is Secretary to the Committee.

88  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

Role and responsibilities
The  primary  function  of  the  audit  Committee  is  to  assist  the 
Board in fulfilling its responsibilities with regard to financial re-
porting, external and internal audit, risk management and con-
trols. This includes:
•  monitoring and reviewing the Group’s financial and account-

ing policies and practices;

•  monitoring  the  integrity  of  the  annual  and  half  yearly  finan-
cial statements and any formal announcements relating to the 
group’s financial performance and reviewing significant finan-
cial reporting judgments relating to them;

•  considering the reappointment of the external auditors;
•  considering  the  scope  of  the  annual  external  audit  and  the 

work undertaken by external auditors;

•  reviewing and monitoring the independence of the external 

auditor and the provision of additional services by it;

•  monitoring matters that influence or could distort the presen-

tation of accounts and key figures;

•  reviewing  Glencore’s  internal  financial,  operational  and  compli-
ance controls and internal controls and risk management systems;
•  monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of Glencore’s in-

ternal audit function;

•  overseeing  the  Group’s  procedures  for  detecting  fraud  and 

handling allegations from whistleblowers; and

•  making  recommendations  to  the  Board  for  a  resolution  to 
be put to the shareholders for their approval on the appoint-
ment of the external auditors and to authorise the Board to fix 
the remuneration and terms of engagement of the external 
auditors.

Governance processes
The  Audit  Committee  usually  invites  the  CEO,  CFO,  Group 
Financial Controller, Head of Risk and Head of Internal Audit 
and the lead partner from the external auditors to attend each 
meeting. Other members of management may attend as and 
when requested. The Committee also holds private sessions 
with the external auditors and the Head of Internal Audit with-
out members of management being present. The Committee 
has adopted guidelines allowing non-audit services to be con-
tracted  with  the  external  auditors  on  the  basis  as  set  out  on 
page 87.

Main Activities
During  the  year,  the  Committee’s  principal  work  included  the 
following:
•  adopted the Committee’s terms of reference;
•  reviewed  and  adopted  a  new  policy  for  the  provision  of  non 

audit services by the external auditors;

•  reviewed  the  policies  detecting,  reporting  and  preventing 
fraud and serious breaches of business conduct and whistle-
blowing procedures;

•  reviewed  the  internal  Audit  Department’s  annual  audit  plan 
and the performance assessment of the Internal Audit function; 
•  reviewed  and  agreed  the  audit  plan,  scope  and  fees  of  the 

audit work to be undertaken by the external auditors;

•  considered the output from the Group-wide process used to 

identify, evaluate and mitigate risks;

•  monitored and reviewed the effectiveness of Glencore’s inter-

nal controls;

•  reviewed and discussed the half-year unaudited financial state-

ments with management and the external auditors;

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

•  discussed  various  material  accounting  issues  with  manage-
ment and the external auditors, particularly those involving key 
judgments and estimates; and

The  first  was  the  search  for  and  consideration  of  a  proposed 
new  Non-Executive  Director.  This  process  was  halted  in  the 
light of the proposed Xstrata merger.

•  reviewed and agreed the preparation and scope of the year-

end reporting process.

Reappointment of external Auditor
The  Committee  has  recommended  to  the  Board  that  a  pro-
posal  be  put  to  shareholders  at  the  2011  Annual  General 
Meeting for the reappointment of Deloitte as external auditor. 
There are no contractual restrictions on the Company’s choice 
of  external  auditor,  and  in  making  our  recommendation  we 
took into account, amongst other matters, the objectivity and 
independence of Deloitte and their continuing effectiveness 
and cost. 

The Committee conducted an annual evaluation of its perfor-
mance and concluded that it was effective, has acted in accord-
ance with its terms of reference and had ensured the objectivity 
of the external auditors.

Leonhard Fischer
Chairman of the Audit Committee
26 March 2012

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

Chairman
Anthony Hayward

Other members
Simon Murray
Ivan Glasenberg
Li Ning

The majority of the members of the Committee are independ-
ent Non-executive Directors. The Committee met three times 
during the year and its members attended all of its meetings.

Roles and responsibilities
The  main  responsibilities  of  the  Committee  are  to  assist  the 
Board with succession planning and with the selection process 
for the new appointment of new Directors, both Executive and 
Non-Executive,  including  the  Chairman  and  to  have  oversight 
of senior management succession planning. This involves:
•  Evaluating the balance and skills, knowledge and experience 
on  the  Board  and  identifying  the  capabilities  required  for  a 
particular appointment;

•  Overseeing the search process; and
•  Evaluating  an  annual  succession  planning  report  from  the 

CEO in relation to senior management.

The full Terms of Reference of the Committee are available on 
our website at www.glencore.com/corporate-governance.php.

Main Activities
The Committee focused on three main tasks during this year.

Secondly, a search process for a female Non-Executive Director 
was  initiated,  for  which  a  number  of  leading  female  business 
leaders have been identified. This has been ongoing with a final 
decision being driven by the proposed Xstrata merger.

Thirdly,  we  considered  the  current  composition  of  the  Board. 
Subject to there being a perceived need for the addition of one 
or two further Non-Executive Directors, it was agreed that the 
Board operated in a satisfactory manner and the Board agreed 
with the Committee’s view that all current serving Directors be 
recommended to shareholders for re-election.

An external consultancy has been retained for search purposes.

Anthony Hayward
Chairman of the Nominations Committee
26 March 2012

HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT & COMMUNITIES 
(HSEC) COMMITTEE

Chairman
Peter Coates

Other members
Ivan Glasenberg
Anthony Hayward
Michael Fahrbach

The Committee met three times during the year and each Com-
mittee member attended all of the meetings.

Role and responsibilities
The  main  responsibilities  of  the  Committee  are,  in  respect  of 
the Group to:
•  Evaluate the effectiveness of policies and systems for identify-

ing and managing environmental, health and safety risks;

•  Assess the policies and systems for ensuring compliance with 
environmental, health and safety regulatory requirements;
•  Assess performance with regard to the impact of HSEC relat-
ed decisions and actions upon employees, communities and 
other third parties;

•  Receive reports concerning all fatalities and serious accidents 
and actions taken as a result of such fatalities or serious ac-
cidents;

•  Evaluate and oversee the quality and integrity of any report-
ing to external stakeholders concerning HSEC matters; and
•  Review the results of any independent audits of performance 
in regard to HSEC matters and strategies and action plans de-
veloped by management in response to issues raised.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  89

Main Activities
During the year, the Committee
•  Reviewed, amended and adopted terms of reference for the 

Committee;

•  Reviewed  the  current  corporate  practice  framework  for  the 
Group and approved ongoing changes and reviewed its im-
plementation and practice;

•  Reviewed and overseen the Group’s first sustainability report 

which was published in the autumn of 2011;

•  Undertaken initial site visits and approved ongoing  site visit 

programme;

•  Agreed procedures in regard to fatality reporting and review 

and recommendations process in respect of each fatality;

•  Received comprehensive presentation from the management 

of Mopani one of our major African assets ; and

•  Commissioned  a  leading  international  company  to  carry  out  a 
baseline assessment of the Group’s Health and Safety standards.

Peter Coates
Chairman of the Health, Safety, Environmental and Communi-
ties Committee
26 March 2012

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overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

3.4 | Directors’ remuneration report

REMUNERATION COMMITTEE

GOVERNANCE

Chairman
William Macaulay

Other members
Anthony Hayward
Leonhard Fischer

Secretary
John Burton

INTRODUCTION

I am pleased to present the inaugural remuneration report pub-
lished for the Company. 

One criticism of UK-listed company remuneration reports is that 
they can be too long, too technical and too confusing. So I hope 
that this report represents a reasonable attempt by us to make 
it short, simple and straight forward. 

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We have the same philosophy as any other Remuneration Com-
mittee, namely to set the company’s remuneration policies and 
practices so that they facilitate the attraction, retention and mo-
tivation of the Executive Directors and other senior executives 
of appropriate high calibre to implement the Group’s strategy 
while  aligning  the  interests  of  the  Executive  Directors  and  ex-
ecutives with those of shareholders generally. This policy under-
pins our entire approach to executive remuneration at Glencore.

One  notable  aspect  of  our  Executive  Directors’  remuneration 
is that, with their agreement and reflecting their status as ma-
jor shareholders, the Executive Directors do not currently par-
ticipate in our long term incentive arrangements (the CEO has 
also agreed not to participate in our bonus arrangements). As a 
result, we are currently able to set overall remuneration for our 
Executive Directors at lower levels than in comparable compa-
nies and for comparable performance. The Committee believes 
that the Executive Directors’ significant personal shareholdings 
create sufficient alignment of interest with shareholders in the 
absence of participation in a long term incentive arrangement. 
If our proposed merger with Xstrata plc proceeds, however, we 
would need to review our overall remuneration policy.

2011 was an important first year for the Committee. We estab-
lished our overall remuneration framework and, within this con-
text,  the  remuneration  packages  for  the  Executive  Directors. 
We agreed service contracts in line with UK best practice. We 
also reviewed performance during the year and determined the 
bonus payment to be made to the CFO.

I hope you will find this Remuneration Report clear and inform-
ative.

This  Remuneration  Report  has  been  prepared  on  behalf  of 
the  Board  by  the  Remuneration  Committee.  The  Committee 
adopts  the  principles  of  good  governance  as  set  out  in  the 
UK  Corporate  Governance  Code  and  complies  with  the  List-
ing  Rules  of  the  Financial  Services  Authority  and  the  relevant 
schedules  of  the  Companies  Act  2006  and  the  Directors’  Re-
muneration Report Regulations in Schedule 8 to the Large and 
Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) 
Regulations 2008.

These  regulations  require  the  Company’s  auditors  to  report 
on the ‘Audited Information’ in the report and to state that this 
section has been properly prepared in accordance with these 
regulations. As such, the report is divided into audited and un-
audited information.

A resolution to approve this report will be put to shareholders 
at the Company’s AGM. 

Membership and experience of the Remuneration Committee
We believe that the members of the Committee provide a use-
ful balance of abilities, experience and perspectives to provide 
the critical analysis required in carrying out our function. In par-
ticular: 
•  William Macaulay has had a long career in private equity which 
has  involved  exposure  to  compensation  issues  many  times 
and in a variety of situations;

•  Leonhard Fischer is a career banker who similarly has had con-

siderable exposure to issues of pay and incentives; and

•  Tony Hayward has for many years been a senior employee and 
executive in the resources industry, most notably as CEO of 
BP, and therefore brings considerable experience as a senior 
executive to our deliberations. 

All members of the remuneration Committee are considered to 
be independent.

Role of the Remuneration Committee 
The terms of reference of the Committee set out its role. They 
are available on the Company’s website at www.glencore.com/
corporate-governance.php.

Its principal responsibilities are, on behalf of the Board, to:
•  Set the Company’s executive remuneration policy (and review 

its ongoing relevance and appropriateness);

•  Fix  the  individual  remuneration  packages  for  the  Executive 

Directors including the scope of pension payments;

•  Determine the total individual remuneration package for the 

Chairman, in consultation with the Chief Executive;

•  Have  responsibility  for  overseeing  schemes  of  performance 
related remuneration (including share incentive plans) for, and 
determine awards for, the Executive Directors;

•  Ensure that the contractual terms on termination for the Ex-

ecutive Directors are fair and not excessive; and 

•  Monitor senior management remuneration.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  91

Remuneration Committee activities 2011
Following  listing,  the  Committee  met  twice  and  considered, 
amongst other matters, the following:
•  Its terms of reference;
•  The regulatory framework that applies to the governance of 

executive remuneration in the Group;

•  The  remuneration  policy  applicable  to  the  Executive  Direc-
tors following the IPO and the specific terms of the Executive 
Directors’  remuneration,  including  consideration  of  annual 
bonus and long term incentives;

•  Senior management remuneration policy, including level and 

its structure and the future application of share plans;

•  The  appointment  of  remuneration  consultants  to  advise  the 

Committee; and

•  The appropriate evaluation methodology for the Committee.

External advisers to the Remuneration Committee
During 2011, the Committee appointed the remuneration consul-
tancy practice of Deloitte LLP to provide independent advice to 
the Committee. Deloitte LLP is the Company’s retained auditor 
and  also  provided  other  services  to  the  Company  during  2011. 
The Committee considers Deloitte to be independent. The Re-
muneration  Committee  advisers’  terms  of  reference  are  in  ac-
cordance with APB Ethical Standard 5 and restrict the provision of 
certain services in order to maintain auditor independence. The 
scope and value of services to the Company is kept under review. 
Advice  is  provided  with  use  of  established  methodologies  and 
the advisers are not involved in the decision making process. Ad-
visory partners and staff have no involvement in audit, and are not 
involved in the preparation of audited information. The Commit-
tee also receive advice on legal matters from Linklaters. 

The Committee is able to consider corporate performance on 
HSEC and governance issues when setting remuneration for the 
Executive  Directors.  The  Committee  seeks  to  ensure  that  the 
incentive  structure  for  the  Group’s  senior  management  does 
not raise HSEC or governance risks by inadvertently motivating 
irresponsible behaviour. 

Internal advisers to the Remuneration Committee
The Chairman, CEO and CFO are usually invited to attend some 
or  all  of  the  proceedings  of  Remuneration  Committee  meet-
ings. They do not participate in any decisions concerning their 
own remuneration. In addition, the Committee received advice 
from John Burton, the Company Secretary. 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION

All emoluments to the Directors are paid in UK Pounds Sterling 
except  for  pension  contributions  and  insurance  benefits  pro-
vided to the Executive Directors. As noted in the emoluments 
table below, these are presented in UK Pounds Sterling. In addi-
tion, as the financial statements are denominated in U.S. Dollars, 
we  have  also  provided  a  total  remuneration  table  on  page  95 
below which presents the total amounts in U.S. Dollars. 

Remuneration Framework
The key elements of the current Executive Directors’ remunera-
tion framework are shown in the table. Each component is dis-
cussed in more detail on the pages that follow.

Component

Purpose

Overview

Current practice

Fixed

Base salary

•  Provides market competitive 

fixed remuneration

•  Salaries are positioned within a market 
competitive range for companies of a 
 similar size and complexity

•  Reviewed annually with the next review  
due to take place in December 2012

•  Executive Officer: 

$ 1,437,080 ¹ (£ 925,000)

•  Financial Officer: 

$ 1,087,520 ¹ (£ 700,000)

Pension

•  Provides basic retirement 

•  Defined contribution scheme for all Swiss 

•  Both Executive Directors 

benefits

employees

participate

•  Contributions are based on age

•  Annual contribution  

15 – 19% on base salary of up  
to $ 297,693 ¹ (CHF 278,400)

Other Benefits

•  Provides appropriate 

•  Provision of standard company Swiss 

 insurance cover benefits

 insurances

Variable

Annual bonus

•  Supports delivery of short 

•  Award of maximum of 200% of salary

•  The CEO does not currently 

term operational & strategic 
goals

Performance 
Share Plan

Deferred Bonus 
Plan

•  Incentivises the creation of 
shareholder value over the 
longer-term

•  Incentivises the creation of 
shareholder value over the 
longer-term

•  Overall plan limit of 500% of salary
•  Malus clauses apply

participate

•  The CFO participates and 
has been assessed against 
targets

•  Both Executive Directors do 

not currently participate

•  Provides for deferral of annual bonus above 

•  Applicable to CFO and  

agreed amount 

senior management

Significant Personal 
 Shareholdings

•  Aligns the interests of 

 executives and shareholders

•  No formal shareholding requirements are 
needed given the size of shareholdings

•  The CEO has a beneficial 

ownership of c.16% 

•  The CFO has a beneficial 

ownership of c.1% 

¹  These amounts are set in UK Pounds Sterling and have been converted to U.S. Dollars using the exchange rates stated in the Currency table 

on page 49.

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The Role of Variable Pay at Glencore
Throughout  the  organisation,  a  significant  proportion  of  the 
remuneration of our senior executive team is based on perfor-
mance during the year and, through partial deferral, including 
into  shares,  on  shareholder  value  created  over  the  long  term. 
These principles have served the Company well over a number 
of years and remain firmly in place. 

Our  Executive  Directors  have  significant  personal  sharehold-
ings. They, and the Committee, believe that this currently pro-
vides sufficient alignment between their interests and those of 
shareholders, regarding long term Company performance and 
shareholder value. As a result, the CEO does not currently par-
ticipate in the annual or long term incentive arrangements and 
receives just a base salary and pension/benefits which are set 
at a lower level than for comparable companies. The CFO is eli-
gible to participate in the annual bonus but does not currently 
participate in any long term incentive arrangements.

Group’s  significant  borrowings.  On  this  basis,  the  Committee 
determined that the CFO should be awarded a bonus of 200% 
of salary (the maximum opportunity) for the 2011 financial year. 
Mr Kalmin waived half of this award so that the bonus paid was 
£ 700,000, equal to 100% of his salary.

Long term incentives
As  described  above,  the  Executive  Directors  do  not  currently 
participate  in  any  long  term  incentive  arrangements,  reflect-
ing the significant alignment achieved through large personal 
shareholdings. 

The Committee will keep this under review to ensure it remains 
appropriate.  In  the  event  that  long  term  incentive  awards  are 
made  to  Executive  Directors,  they  would  normally  be  made 
under the Glencore Performance Share Plan (described below) 
and  would  include  stretching  performance  targets  measured 
over a period of at least three years. 

Although this results in a higher proportion of fixed remunera-
tion (as a percentage of total remuneration) than would be the 
case in comparable companies, the Committee believes this is 
appropriate  given  the  current  alignment  created  through  the 
significant share ownership described above. 

The Glencore Performance Share Plan (PSP)
The PSP was implemented on Admission. The table below sets 
out the key features of the plan, which the Committee believes 
to be aligned with UK best practice. 

The Committee also notes that it results in a lower level of overall 
remuneration for the Executive Directors than would be the case 
in similar companies, which is beneficial to our shareholders.

Base Salary
For 2011, annual base salaries for the Executive Directors were 
set  at  £925,000  and  £700,000  for  the  CEO  and  CFO  respec-
tively, which the Committee considers to be within the market 
competitive range and appropriate. 

When setting remuneration for our executives, the Committee 
takes into account market data from listed companies of a simi-
lar financial size, and pay and conditions in the wider Glencore 
group to ensure that pay for our most senior employees is con-
sistent with, and aligned to, the rest of the organisation.

Salaries will remain unchanged for 2012.

Annual bonus
The current maximum bonus opportunity for Executive Direc-
tors is 200% of base salary. This opportunity is positioned to-
wards the lower end of market practice in UK-listed companies 
of a similar size, which the Committee believes is appropriate at 
the current time. 

As  described  above,  the  CEO  does  not  currently  participate 
in the annual bonus arrangements. The CFO does participate 
and for the current financial year will be assessed using a com-
bination  of  key  criteria  aligned  to  the  delivery  of  our  strategy 
which are within his areas of responsibility. In respect of 2011, 
the Committee considered the performance of the CFO against 
a  number  of  performance  criteria  including  successful  com-
pletion of the Company’s IPO, the establishment of reporting 
processes  and  investor  relations  functions  suitable  for  a  FTSE 
100  company  and  management  and  partial  refinancing  of  the 

Key features

Details

Form of award

•  Conditional shares or nil-cost options

Individual limits

•  500% of base salary

Aggregate limits

Malus clauses

•  The Company’s share plans include best 
 practice dilution limits: 10% in ten years  
under all share plans and 5% in ten years 
under discretionary plans

•  Awards can be reduced or extinguished in the 
event that a participant’s actions or behaviour 
results in a material loss, or detriment, to the 
Company

Change of control

•  Participants may be required or permitted to 

exchange awards for equivalent awards  
over shares in the acquiring company; and
•  Alternatively, the Committee has discretion 
to determine that awards vest immediately, 
subject to time and performance proration.
Leaver conditions •  Awards generally lapse for all except ‘good 

leavers’;

•  For ‘good leavers’, awards generally continue 

and vest on the normal vesting date and 
subject to performance. The Committee 
retains discretion to allow awards to vest on 
cessation, subject to time and performance 
pro-rating; and

•  On death awards generally vest in full, unless 

the Committee decides otherwise.

The Glencore Deferred Bonus Plan (DBP)
Under the DBP, all or part of a participant’s bonus is deferred 
as  an  award  of  ordinary  shares  (Bonus  Awards)  which  vests  at 
the end of a specified period subject to continued employment 
and forfeiture for malus events. No awards have been granted 
under this plan to date. 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  93

Shareholding
The Remuneration Committee believes that a significant share-
holding by Executive Directors aligns their long-term economic 
interests with those of our shareholders and demonstrates their 
commitment to the business.

Other benefits
The  Executive  Directors  benefit  from  the  same  insurance  ar-
rangements  provided  to  all  its  Swiss  employees  being  salary 
loss (long term sickness) and accident insurance cover.

Given  the  status  of  our  current  Executive  Directors  as  major 
shareholders (see the Directors’ share interests table on page 98),  
the  Committee  considers  formal  shareholding  requirements 
unnecessary at this time. However, the Committee will keep this 
under review and may introduce a shareholding requirement if 
it becomes appropriate to do so in the future.

Pensions
The Executive Directors participate in the Group’s defined con-
tribution pension scheme which is operated for all staff at its Baar 
office. Contributions are paid in CHF and represented amounts 
equivalent  to  c.15–19%  (contributions  are  age  related)  of  gross 
annual salary up to CHF 278,400 for both Executive Directors. 

Total shareholder return relative performance
The graph below shows the company’s performance, measured 
by total shareholder return, compared with the performance of 
the FTSE Mining Sector index. The Company is a constituent of 
this index and it has been chosen as it is the widely recognised 
performance comparison for large UK-listed mining companies.
The time line on the graph starts on 24 May 2011, the date of 
Admission. In drawing up this graph it has been assumed that 
all  dividends  paid  have  been  reinvested,  which  the  company 
believes is a fair method of calculation.

110

100

90

80

70

60

5/11

6/11

7/11

8/11

9/11

10/11

11/11

12/11

FTSE 350 Mining 
Glencore

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Non-executive directors
Letters of appointment & re-election – all non-executive direc-
tors have letters of appointment with the Company for an initial 
period of three years from their date of appointment, subject to 
reappointment at each AGM. Each letter is dated 28 April 2011. 
The Company may terminate each appointment by immediate 
notice and there are no special arrangements or entitlements 
on termination.

Policy for determining non-executive directors (NED) fees – the 
initial remuneration of the NEDs was determined by the Board 
prior to the IPO within the limits set by the Articles of Associa-
tion. NEDs are only remunerated through fees. Further details 
are provided below. In particular, they are not eligible to partici-
pate in any of the Company’s share incentive schemes or join 
any Company pension scheme.

Going forward, the Board will review NED remuneration levels 
periodically  to  ensure  that  they  remain  aligned  with  those  of 
other major listed companies.

Executive Directors’ Contracts 
The table below summarises the key features of the executive 
directors’ service contracts.

Provision

Service contract terms

Notice period

Contract date

 •  12 months notice by either party

 •  Employment contracts for the CEO and 

CFO are dated 28 April 2011

Expiry date
Termination payment  •  No special arrangements or entitlements 
on termination

 •  Rolling service contract

Change in control

 •  In the event of a change of control of the 
Company, the contracts of the Executive 
Directors do not provide for any enhanced 
payments, nor for any liquidated damages 

External appointments
The Executive Directors each held external appointments (be-
ing  directorships  of  non-subsidiary  companies)  during  2011. 
These are referred to at the end of their respective biographical 
summaries  on  page  81.  The  Executive  Directors  assign  to  the 
Group any compensation which they receive from such external 
Board directorships. 

AUDITED SECTION

Directors’ emoluments
The emoluments for the Directors for the 2011 financial year were:

GBP thousand

Base salary/fees Annual bonus Other benefits ¹

Total

Executive directors
Ivan Glasenberg

Steven Kalmin

Non-Executive Directors 3
Simon Murray

Peter Coates

Leonhard Fischer
Anthony Hayward

William Macaulay

Li Ning

925

700

1 625

456

128

92
113

90

65

944

–

700

700

–

–

–
–

–

–

–

Total

2 569

700

2

2

 4

–

–

–
–

–

–

–

4

927

1 402

2 329

456

128

92
113

90

65

944

3 273

Total US $
thousand 2

1 487

2 247

3 734

731

205

148
181

144

104

1 513

5 247

¹  This constitutes the cost to the Company of the provision of the insurance cover referred to under Other Benefits above. These costs have 
been borne in Swiss Franc and have been converted to UK Pounds Sterling using the exchange rates stated in the Currency table on page 49.
2  These amounts are paid in a foreign currency and have been converted to U.S. Dollars using the exchange rates stated in the Currency table 

on page 49.

3  The fees were payable to the Non-Executive Directors from 14 April 2011 except for Mr. Murray for whom the date was 28 April 2011.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  95

Annual fees are paid in accordance with a Non-Executive Direc-
tor’s role and responsibilities as follows:

DIRECTORS’ PENSION ENTITLEMENTS

Non-Executive Directors have no entitlement in respect of any 
pension  arrangements.  The  Executive  Directors  have  never 
been  a  member  of  defined  benefit  schemes  provided  by  the 
Group and accordingly they have no accrued entitlements un-
der these schemes. 

For  the  Executive  Directors  the  following  contributions  have 
been made by the Group in 2011 to the Group’s defined con-
tribution pension scheme which it operates for its Swiss based 
employees:

2011

Ivan Glasenberg

Steven Kalmin

GBP 
thousand

US $
thousand

37 ¹

29 ¹

59

47

¹  These payments have been converted to UK Pounds Sterling using 

the exchange rates stated in the Currency table on page 49.

Approval
Approved by the Board of Directors and signed on its behalf by:

William Macaulay
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

26 March 2012

2011

Directors
Chairman

Senior Independent Director

Non-Executive Director 

Remuneration Committee
Chairman

Member

Audit Committee

Chairman

Member

Nominations Committee
Chairman

Member

HSEC Committee
Chairman 2
Member

GBP 
thousand

US $
thousand 1

675

109

79

28

15

35

20

23

12

80

12

1 082

175

127

45

24

56

32

37

19

128

19

1  These amounts are set in UK Pounds Sterling and have been con-
verted  to  U.S.  Dollars  using  the  exchange  rates  stated  in  the  Cur-
rency table on page 49.

2  The fee payable to the chair of the HSEC Committee was increased 
from the level initially set to reflect the additional workload request-
ed by the Board during the year which is expected to continue for 
the foreseeable future.

Aggregate Directors’ Remuneration
The  total  amounts  for  Directors’  remuneration  for  the  2011 
 financial year in U.S. Dollars were as follows:

US $ thousand

Emoluments

Share incentive gains and payments

Retirement contributions

5 247 ¹

–
106 1

¹  The amounts were paid in UK Pounds Sterling or Swiss Franc as ex-
plained  above  and  have  been  converted  to  U.S.  Dollars  using  the 
exchange rates stated in the Currency table on page 49.

DIRECTORS’ SHARE INTERESTS

The  Directors  who  held  office  at  31  December  2011  have  the 
beneficial interests in the issued share capital of the Company 
shown on page 98.

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3.5 | Directors’ report

Introduction
This Annual Report is presented by the Directors on the affairs 
of Glencore International plc (the Company) and its subsidiaries 
(the Group or Glencore), together with the financial statements 
and auditors’ report, for the year ended 31 December 2011. The 
Directors’  Report  including  details  of  the  business,  the  devel-
opment of the Group and likely future developments as set out 
in  the  Overview  and  Business  review  section,  which  together 
forms  the  management  report  for  the  purposes  of  the  UK  Fi-
nancial  Services  Authority’s  Disclosure  and  Transparency  Rule 
(DTR) 4.1.8R. The notice concerning forward looking statements 
is  set  out  on  page  160.  References  to  the  Company  may  also 
include references to the Group or part of the Group.

Corporate structure
Glencore  International  plc  is  a  public  company  limited  by 
shares,  incorporated  in  Jersey  and  domiciled  in  Baar,  Switzer-
land  and  its  shares  are  listed  on  the  London  and  Hong  Kong 
Stock Exchanges.

Principal activities 
Glencore  is  one  of  the  world’s  leading  integrated  producers 
and marketers of commodities. It has worldwide activities in the 
production,  sourcing,  processing,  refining,  transporting,  stor-
age, financing and supply of metals and minerals, energy prod-
ucts and agricultural products. 

Financial results and dividends
The Group’s financial results are set out in the financial state-
ments and in the Financial review section of this annual report.

The Board recommends a final dividend of $ 0.10 per share total-
ling approximately $ 692 million. Including the interim dividend 
of $ 0.05 per share which has already been paid, this provides 
for a total dividend for the 2011 financial year of $ 0.15 per share 
and $ 1,038 million in aggregate. Shareholders will be asked to 
approve  the  final  dividend  at  the  Annual  General  Meeting  on 
9 May 2012, for payment on 1 June 2012 to ordinary sharehold-
ers whose names are on the register on 18 May 2012.

Review  of  business,  future  developments  and  post  balance 
sheet events
A  review  of  the  business  and  the  future  developments  of  the 
Group is presented in the Overview and the Business review.

A full description of acquisitions, disposals, and material chang-
es to Group companies undertaken during the year, including 
post  balance  sheet  events,  is  included  in  the  Financial  review 
and in note 22 of the financial statements.

Financial instruments
Descriptions  of  the  use  of  financial  instruments  and  Glencore 
financial  risk  management  objectives  and  policies,  including 
hedging activities and exposure to price risk, credit risk, liquid-
ity  risk  and  cash  flow  risk  are  included  in  section  1.7  Principal 
risks and uncertainties and in note 23 of the financial statements.

Corporate Governance
A report on corporate governance and compliance with the UK 
Corporate Governance Code is set out on pages 80 to 96 and 
forms part of this report by reference.

Creditor payment policy and practice
In  view  of  the  international  nature  of  the  Group’s  operations 
there is no specific Group-wide policy in respect of payments 
to  suppliers.  Individual  operating  entities  are  responsible  for 
agreeing  terms  and  conditions  for  their  business  transactions 
and ensuring that suppliers are aware of the terms of payment. 
It is Group policy that payments are made in accordance with 
those  terms,  provided  that  all  trading  terms  and  conditions 
have been met by the supplier.

Glencore International plc is a holding company with no busi-
ness activity other than the holding of investments in the Group 
and therefore had no trade creditors at 31 December 2011.

Health, safety, environment & communities (HSEC)
An overview of health, safety and environmental performance 
and community participation is provided in section 1.5 Sustain-
ability.

Exploration and research and development
The  Group  business  units  carry  out  exploration  and  research 
and development activities that are necessary to support and 
expand their operations.

Political and charitable donations
No  political  donations  were  made  in  2011.  In  addition  to  our 
large-scale community programmes, Glencore makes donations 
and provides sponsorship to various causes. Glencore seeks to 
ensure  that  charitable  contributions  and  sponsorship  should 
never be used as a substitute for political contributions. Guid-
ance  on  Glencore’s  policy  towards  charitable  contributions  is 
set out in the Glencore Corporate Practice programme. For the 
year  ended  31  December  2011,  the  Company  spent  a  total  of 
$ 123 million (2010: $ 80 million) on both purely philanthropic 
and community investment initiatives.

Employee policies and involvement
Glencore  operates  an  equal  opportunities  policy  that  aims  to 
treat  individuals  fairly  and  not  to  discriminate  on  the  basis  of 
sex, race, ethnic origin, disability or on any other basis. Applica-
tions for employment are fully considered on their merits, and 
employees are given appropriate training and equal opportuni-
ties for career development and promotion.

The Group places considerable value on the involvement of its 
employees which is reflected in the principles of Glencore Cor-
porate Practice and its related guidance, which require regular, 
open,  fair  and  respectful  communication,  zero  tolerance  for 
 human rights violations, fair remuneration and, above all, a safe 
working environment. 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  97

 
Directors’ conflicts of interest
Under  Jersey  law  and  the  Company’s  Articles  of  Association 
(which mirror section 175 of the UK Companies Act 2006), a di-
rector must avoid a situation in which he has, or can have, a di-
rect  or  indirect  interest  that  conflicts,  or  possibly  may  conflict, 
with the interests of the Company. The duty is not infringed if the 
matter has been authorised by the Directors. Under the Articles, 
the Board has the power to authorise potential or actual conflict 
situations. The Board maintains effective procedures to enable 
the  Directors  to  notify  the  Company  of  any  actual  or  potential 
conflict  situations  and  for  those  situations  to  be  reviewed  and, 
if appropriate, to be authorised by the Board. Directors’ conflict 
situations  are  reviewed  annually.  A  register  of  authorisations  is 
maintained.

No  director  has  any  other  interest  in  the  share  capital  of  the 
Company whether pursuant to any share plan or otherwise.

No  changes  in  directors’  interests  have  occurred  between 
31 December 2011 and 26 March 2012.

Each of Mr Glasenberg and Mr Kalmin has executed a Lock-Up 
Deed, pursuant to  which they  have agreed, subject  to certain 
customary exceptions, that during the period from 24 May 2011 
to 24 May 2016 they will not dispose of the ordinary shares held 
by them at 24 May 2011. The percentage of Executive Director’s 
Ordinary Shares held at 24 May 2011 that is subject to restric-
tions on disposal decreases on each anniversary date by 20 per 
cent of the original holding.

Directors’ liabilities and indemnities
The Company has granted third party indemnities to each of its 
Directors against any liability that attaches to them in defend-
ing  proceedings  brought  against  them,  to  the  extent  permit-
ted by the Jersey Law. In addition, Directors and Officers of the 
Company and its subsidiaries are covered by Directors & Offic-
ers liability insurance.

Directors
The names of the Company’s Directors who served during the 
year, together with their biographical details and other informa-
tion, are shown on pages 81 and 83.

Directors’ interests
Details  of  interests  in  the  ordinary  shares  of  the  Company  of 
those Directors who held office at 31 December 2011 are given 
below:

Name of director

Executive
Ivan Glasenberg

Steven Kalmin

Non executive
Simon Murray

Peter Coates

Leonhard Fischer

Anthony Hayward

William Macaulay ¹

Li Ning

Ordinary shares 
held as at 
31 December 2011

Percentage 
of issued 
share capital

1 093 418 752

70 523 154

0

82 700

0

0

121 996 976

62 000

15.8%

1.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

1.79%

0.0%

¹  Of these shares, 121,996,976 ordinary shares are held by FR Galaxy 
Holdings S.a.r.l. (FR) (114,247,165 shares) and ECP Galaxy Holdings 
S.a.r.l. (ECP) (7,749,811 shares) respectively. The Company has been 
notified that (1) FR is a connected person of William Macaulay and 
(2) ECP is an affiliate of FR. In addition, FR has an economic interest 
under swap arrangements in 33,750,000 shares and ECP in 2,250,000 
shares (being an aggregate 36,000,000 shares, which is approximately 
0.5% of the issued share capital of the Company).

Share capital and shareholder rights
At the date of this report, the ordinary share capital of the Com-
pany was $ 69,227,135.11 represented by 6,922,713,511 ordinary 
shares of $ 0.01 each. 

Major interests in shares
As at 26 March 2012 Glencore had been notified of the following 
interests representing 3% or more of the issued ordinary share 
capital of the Company:

Name of holder

Number 
of shares

Percentage 
of issued 
share capital

Ivan Glasenberg

Daniel Francisco Maté Badenes

Aristotelis Mistakidis
Tor Peterson 1
Alex Beard

1 093 418 752

417 468 330

411 730 597

366 074 885

320 260 410

15.8%

6.0%

5.9%

5.3%

4.6%

¹  Within the meaning of Chapter 5 of the UK Disclosure and Transpar-
ency Rules, Tor Peterson is an indirect holder of 109,178,079 Ordinary 
Shares held by Cititrust (Switzerland) Limited pursuant to a fiduciary 
arrangement established for his benefit. This indirect holding of Or-
dinary Shares is included in the above table.

Share capital
The  rights  attaching  to  the  Company’s  ordinary  shares,  being 
the  only  share  class  of  the  Company,  are  set  out  in  the  Com-
pany’s Articles of Association (Articles), which can be found at 
www.glencore.com. Subject to Jersey law, any share may be is-
sued with or have attached to it such preferred, deferred or oth-
er special rights and restrictions as the Company may by special 
resolution decide or, if no such resolution is in effect, or so far 
as the resolution does not make specific provision, as the Board 
may decide. No such resolution is currently in effect. Subject to 
the  recommendation  of  the  Board,  holders  of  ordinary  shares 
may  receive  a  dividend.  On  liquidation,  holders  of  ordinary 
shares may share in the assets of the Company. Holders of ordi-
nary shares are also entitled to receive the Company’s Annual 
Report and Accounts (or a summarised version) and, subject to 
certain thresholds being met, may requisition the Board to con-
vene a general meeting (GM) or the proposal of resolutions at 
AGMs. None of the ordinary shares carry any special rights with 
regard to control of the Company.

98  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

 
 
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Holders of ordinary shares are entitled to attend and speak at 
GMs of the Company and to appoint one or more proxies or, if 
the holder of shares is a corporation, a corporate representa-
tive. On a show of hands, each holder of ordinary shares who 
(being an individual) is present in person or (being a corpora-
tion) is present by a duly appointed corporate representative, 
not being himself a member, shall have one vote and on a poll, 
every holder of ordinary shares present in person or by proxy 
shall  have  one  vote  for  every  share  of  which  he  is  the  holder. 
Electronic  and  paper  proxy  appointments  and  voting  instruc-
tions  must  be  received  not  later  than  48  hours  before  a  GM. 
A holder of ordinary shares can lose the entitlement to vote at 
GMs where that holder has been served with a disclosure no-
tice  and  has  failed  to  provide  the  Company  with  information 
concerning interests held in those shares. Except as (1) set out 
above and (2) permitted under applicable statutes, there are no 
limitations  on  voting  rights  of  holders  of  a  given  percentage, 
number of votes or deadlines for exercising voting rights.

The Directors may refuse to register a transfer of a certificated 
share which is not fully paid, provided that the refusal does not 
prevent dealings in shares in the Company from taking place on 
an open and proper basis or where the Company has a lien over 
that share. The Directors may also refuse to register a transfer 
of  a  certificated  share  unless  the  instrument  of  transfer  is:  (i) 
lodged, duly stamped (if necessary), at the registered office of 
the Company or any other place as the Board may decide ac-
companied by the certificate for the share(s) to be transferred 
and/or such other evidence as the Directors may reasonably re-
quire as proof of title; or (ii) in respect of only one class of shares.

Transfers  of  uncertificated  shares  must  be  carried  out  using 
CREST and the Directors can refuse to register a transfer of an 
uncertificated share in accordance with the regulations govern-
ing the operation of CREST.

The Directors may decide to suspend the registration of trans-
fers, for up to 30 days a year, by closing the register of sharehold-
ers. The Directors cannot suspend the registration of transfers of 
any uncertificated shares without obtaining consent from CREST.

There are no other restrictions on the transfer of ordinary shares 
in the Company except: (1) certain restrictions may from time to 
time be imposed by laws and regulations (for example insider 
trading laws); (2) pursuant to the Company’s share dealing code 
whereby the Directors and certain employees of the Company 
require approval to deal in the Company’s shares; and (3) where 
a shareholder with at least a 0.25% interest in the Company’s is-
sued share capital has been served with a disclosure notice and 
has  failed  to  provide  the  Company  with  information  concern-
ing interests in those shares. There are no agreements between 
holders  of  ordinary  shares  that  are  known  to  the  Company 
which may result in restrictions on the transfer of securities or 
on voting rights.

The  rules  for  appointment  and  replacement  of  the  Directors 
are set  out  in  the Articles. Directors  can  be appointed  by  the 
Company by ordinary resolution at a GM or by the Board upon 
the recommendation of the Nomination Committee. The Com-
pany  can  remove  a  director  from  office,  including  by  passing 

an ordinary resolution or by notice being given by all the other 
Directors. 

The powers of the Directors are set out in the Articles and pro-
vide  that  the  Board  may  exercise  all  the  powers  of  the  Com-
pany including to borrow money. The Company may by ordinary 
resolution  authorise  the  Board  to  issue  shares,  and  increase, 
consolidate,  sub-divide  and  cancel  shares  in  accordance  with 
its Articles and Jersey law. 

The Company may amend its Articles by special resolution ap-
proved at a GM.

Purchase of Own Shares
At  the  end  of  the  year,  the  Directors  had  authority,  under  a 
shareholders’  resolution  passed  on  3  May  2011,  to  purchase 
through the market up to 10% of the Company’s issued ordinary 
shares immediately following the IPO. This authority expires at 
the conclusion of the AGM of the Company to be held in 2012. 

Going concern
The financial position of the Group, its cash flows, liquidity posi-
tion and borrowing facilities are set out in the Overview and the 
Business review sections. Furthermore, note 23 of the consoli-
dated financial statements includes the Group’s objectives and 
policies for managing its capital, its financial risk management 
objectives, details of its financial instruments and hedging ac-
tivities and its exposure to credit and liquidity risk. 

In May 2011, the Company’s shares were admitted to trading 
on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges. Concurrent-
ly with this admission process, the Company implemented an 
offer for subscription of new ordinary shares. Pursuant to this 
offer,  922,713,511  ordinary  shares  were  issued,  representing 
16.94% of the Group’s post admission issued share capital rais-
ing proceeds of c. $ 7,291 million net of expenses. Other sig-
nificant financing activities that took place during the year are  
detailed in the Business review section. As a consequence, the 
Directors believe that the Group is well placed to manage its 
business despite the current highly uncertain economic envi-
ronment.

The Directors believe, having made appropriate enquiries, that 
the Group has adequate resources to continue its operational 
existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason they con-
tinue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the finan-
cial statements. 

The Directors have made this assessment after consideration of 
the Company’s budgeted cash flows and related assumptions, 
undrawn debt facilities, debt maturity review, analysis of debt 
covenants, and in accordance with Going Concern and Liquid-
ity  Risk:  Guidance  for  Directors  of  UK  Companies  2009  pub-
lished by the UK Financial Reporting Council. 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  99

AUDITORS

Each of the persons who is a Director at the date of approval of 
this annual report confirms that:
(a)  so  far  as  the  Director  is  aware,  there  is  no  relevant  audit 
information of which the Company’s auditors are unaware; 
and

(b)  the Director has taken all the steps that he/she ought to have 
taken as a director in order to make himself/ herself aware 
of  any  relevant  audit  information  and  to  establish  that  the 
Company’s auditors are aware of that information.

The  Directors  are  responsible  for  keeping  proper  accounting 
records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the 
financial position of the Company and enable them to ensure 
that the financial statements comply with the Companies (Jersey) 
Law 1991. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets 
of the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the 
prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The 
Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of 
the corporate and financial information included on the Com-
pany’s website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation 
and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legis-
lation in other jurisdictions.

Deloitte LLP have expressed their willingness to continue in of-
fice as auditors and a resolution to reappoint them will be pro-
posed at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

Signed on behalf of the board:

John Burton
Company Secretary
26 March 2012

STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The Directors are responsible for preparing the annual report 
and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and 
regulations. Company law requires the Directors to prepare fi-
nancial statements for each financial year. Under that law the 
Directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in 
accordance  with  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards 
as  issued  by  the  International  Accounting  Standards  Board 
and  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards  as  adopted 
for  use  in  the  European  Union,  together  (IFRS).  The  financial 
statements are required by law to be properly prepared in ac-
cordance with the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991. International 
Accounting  Standard  1  requires  that  financial  statements 
present  fairly  for  each  financial  year  the  Company’s  financial 
position, financial performance and cash flows. This requires 
the faithful representation of the effects of transactions, other 
events and conditions in accordance with the definitions and 
recognition criteria for assets, liabilities, income and expens-
es  set  out  in  the  International  Accounting  Standards  Board’s 
‘Framework for the preparation and presentation of financial 
statements’. 

In virtually all circumstances, a fair presentation will be achieved 
by compliance with all applicable IFRSs. However, the Directors 
are also required to:
 •  properly select and apply accounting policies; 
 •  present information, including accounting policies, in a man-
ner  that  provides  relevant,  reliable,  comparable  and  under-
standable information; 

 •  provide  additional  disclosures  when  compliance  with  the 
specific  requirements  in  IFRSs  are  insufficient  to  enable  us-
ers to understand the impact of particular transactions, other 
events  and  conditions  on  the  entity’s  financial  position  and 
financial performance; and

 •  make an assessment of the Company’s ability to continue as 

a going concern. 

100  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  101

financial 
StatementS

4 | Financial Statements

  Statement of directors’ responsibilities 

Independent auditors’ report 

  Consolidated statement of income 
  Consolidated statement of comprehensive income 
  Consolidated statement of financial position 
  Consolidated statement of cash flows 
  Consolidated statement of changes in equity 
  Notes to the financial statements 

104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111

 
Financial StatementS

StAtement of diRectoRS’ ReSponSibilitieS

We confirm that to the best of our knowledge: 

•  the financial statements, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and interpretations as adopted 
by the European Union, International Financial Reporting Standards and interpretations as issued by the International Account-
ing Standards Board and the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and 
profit of the Group and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole; and 

•  the  management  report,  which  is  incorporated  in  the  Overview  and  Business  review  sections,  includes  a  fair  review  of  the 
 development and performance of the business and the position of the Group and the undertakings included in the consolidation 
taken as a whole, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties they face.

Ivan Glasenberg 
Chief Executive Officer 

Steven Kalmin
Chief Financial officer

26 March 2012

104  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
104  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

independent AUditoR’S RepoRt to tHe membeRS of GlencoRe inteRnAtionAl plc

We have audited the group financial statements (the “financial 
statements”)  of  Glencore  International  plc  for  the  year  ended 
31  December  2011  which  comprise  the  Consolidated  State-
ment  of  Income,  the  Consolidated  Statement  of  Comprehen-
sive Income, the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position, 
the  Consolidated  Statement  of  Cash  Flows,  the  Consolidated 
Statement of Changes in Equity and the related notes 1 to 30. 
The  financial  reporting  framework  that  has  been  applied  in 
their  preparation  is  applicable  law  and  International  Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by European Union.

Separate opinion in relation to iFRS as issued by the iaSB
As  explained  in  the  accounting  policies  to  the  financial  state-
ments, the Group, in addition to complying with its legal obliga-
tion to comply with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union, 
has also applied IFRSs as issued by the International Account-
ing Standards Board (IASB). In our opinion the Group financial 
statements comply with IFRSs as issued by the IASB.

matters on which we are required to report by exception
We have nothing to report in respect of the following:

This  report  is  made  solely  to  the  company’s  members,  as  a 
body, in accordance with Article 113A of the Companies (Jersey) 
Law 1991. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might 
state to the company’s members those matters we are required 
to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. 
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or as-
sume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the 
company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this re-
port, or for the opinions we have formed.

Under the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 we are required to re-
port to you if, in our opinion:
•  proper accounting records have not been kept by the parent 
company, or proper returns adequate for our audit have not 
been received from branches not visited by us; or

•  the  financial  statements  are  not  in  agreement  with  the  ac-

counting records and returns; or

•  we have not received all the information and explanations we 

require for our audit.

Under the Listing Rules we are required to review the part of the 
Corporate  Governance  Statement  relating  to  the  company’s 
compliance with the nine provisions of the UK Corporate Gov-
ernance Code specified for our review.

Other matters
In our opinion the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report 
to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance with 
the provisions of the UK Companies Act 2006 as if that Act had 
applied to the company.

We  have  reviewed  the  directors’  statement,  contained  within 
the  Directors’  Report,  in  relation  to  going  concern  as  if  the 
company had been incorporated in the UK and have nothing to 
report to you in that respect.

David Quinlin
for and on behalf of Deloitte LLP
Chartered Accountants and Recognized Auditor
London, UK

26 March 2012

Respective responsibilities of directors and auditor
As explained more fully in the Statement of Directors’ Responsi-
bilities, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the 
financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true 
and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit and express an opin-
ion  on  the  financial  statements  in  accordance  with  applicable 
law  and  International  Standards  on  Auditing  (UK  and  Ireland). 
Those standards require us to comply with the Auditing Prac-
tices Board’s Ethical Standards for Auditors.

Scope of the audit of the financial statements
An  audit  involves  obtaining  evidence  about  the  amounts  and 
disclosures  in  the  financial  statements  sufficient  to  give  rea-
sonable  assurance  that  the  financial  statements  are  free  from 
material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This 
includes an assessment of: whether the accounting policies are 
appropriate to the group’s circumstances and have been con-
sistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness 
of significant accounting estimates made by the directors; and 
the overall presentation of the financial statements. In addition, 
we read all the financial and non-financial information in the an-
nual report to identify material inconsistencies with the audited 
financial statements. If we become aware of any apparent mate-
rial misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implica-
tions for our report. 

Opinion on financial statements
In our opinion the financial statements: 
•  give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s affairs as at 
31 December 2011 and of the group’s profit for the year then 
ended;

•  have  been  properly  prepared  in  accordance  with  IFRS  as 

adopted by European Union; 

•  have been properly prepared in accordance with the Compa-

nies (Jersey) Law 1991.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  105
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  105

Financial StatementS

conSolidAted StAtement of income 
foR tHe yeARS ended 31 decembeR

US $ million

Revenue

Cost of goods sold

Selling and administrative expenses

Share of income from associates and jointly controlled entities

Gain/(loss) on sale of investments

Other expense – net

Dividend income

Interest income

Interest expense

income before income taxes and attribution

Income tax credit/(expense)

income before attribution

Attribution to hybrid profit participation shareholders

Attribution to ordinary profit participation shareholders

income for the year

attributable to:

Non controlling interests

Equity holders

earnings per share 

Basic (US $)

Diluted (US $)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Notes

2011

2010

186 152

– 181 938

– 857

1 972

9

– 511

24

339

– 1 186

4 004

264

4 268

0

0

144 978

– 140 467

– 1 063

1 829

– 6

– 8

13 

281

– 1 217

4 340

– 234

4 106

– 367

– 2 093

4 268

1 646

220

4 048

0.72

0.69

355

1 291

0.35

0.35

3

4

13

13

14

14

106  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
106  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

conSolidAted StAtement of compReHenSive income 
foR tHe yeARS ended 31 decembeR

US $ million

Income for the year

Notes

Exchange (loss)/gain on translation of foreign operations

Loss on cash flow hedges

(Loss)/gain on available for sale financial instruments

7

Share of other comprehensive loss from associates and jointly controlled entities

Income tax relating to components of other comprehensive income

net loss recognised directly in equity

Cash flow hedges transferred to the statement of income, net of tax

Other comprehensive loss

total comprehensive income

attributable to:

Non controlling interests

Equity holders

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

2011

4 268

– 59

– 15

– 1 206
– 25

– 2

– 1 307
6

– 1 301

2 967

214

2 753

2010

1 646

26

– 182

25

– 43

2

– 172

6

– 166

1 480

373

1 107

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  107
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  107

Financial StatementS

conSolidAted StAtement of finAnciAl poSition
AS At 31 decembeR

US $ million

assets

non current assets

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets

Investments in associates and jointly controlled entities

Other investments

Advances and loans

Deferred tax assets

current assets

Inventories

Accounts receivable

Other financial assets

Prepaid expenses and other assets

Marketable securities

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets held for sale

total assets

equity and liabilities

capital and reserves – attributable to equity holders

Share capital

Reserves and retained earnings

Non controlling interests

Hybrid profit participation shareholders

Ordinary profit participation shareholders

total net assets attributable to profit participation shareholders,  
non controlling interests and equity holders

Other non current liabilities

Borrowings

Deferred income

Deferred tax liabilities

Provisions

current liabilities

Borrowings

Commodities sold with agreements to repurchase

Accounts payable

Provisions

Other financial liabilities

Income tax payable

Liabilities held for sale

total equity and liabilities

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

108  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
108  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Notes

2011

2010

5

6

7

7

8

4

9

10

24

11

12

13

13

13

17

18

4

19

17

9

21

19

24

12

14 639

210

18 858

1 547

4 141

1 039

40 434

17 129

21 895

5 065

297

40

1 305

45 731

0

45 731

86 165

69

29 196

29 265

3 070

32 335

0

0

12 088

0

16 766

2 438

3 830

369

35 491

17 393

18 994

5 982

118

66

1 463

44 016

280

44 296

79 787

37

5 387

5 424

2 894

8 318

1 823

12 366

32 335

22 507

19 844

158

1 399

953

22 354

8 185

39

18 160

98

4 804

190

31 476
0

31 476

86 165

18 251

164

1 308

719

20 442

11 881

484

15 973

172

8 066

217

36 793

45

36 838

79 787

 
 
Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

conSolidAted StAtement of cASH flowS 
foR tHe yeARS ended 31 decembeR

US $ million

Operating activities

Income before income taxes and attribution
adjustments for:
Depreciation and amortisation
Share of income from associates and jointly controlled entities
Increase in non current provisions
(Gain)/loss on sale of investments – net
Unrealised mark to market movements on other investments
Impairments and other non cash items – net
Interest expense – net
cash generated by operating activities before working capital changes

Working capital changes
Increase in accounts receivable 1
Decrease/(increase) in inventories
(Decrease)/increase in accounts payable 2
total working capital changes
Income tax paid
Interest received
Interest paid
net cash (used)/generated by operating activities
investing activities
Payments of non current advances and loans
Acquisition of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired
Disposal of subsidiaries
Purchase of investments
Xstrata rights issue settlement via exercise of Prodeco call option
Proceeds from sale of investments
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
Payments for exploration and evaluation
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment
Dividends received from associates
net cash (used) by investing activities
Financing activities
Share issuance, net of issue costs
Proceeds from issuance of Swiss Franc and Euro bonds
(Repayment of)/proceeds from Perpetual bonds
Repayment of Euro bonds
Proceeds from Convertible bonds
Proceeds from other non current borrowings
Repayment of other non current borrowings
Proceeds from Xstrata secured bank loans
(Repayment of)/net proceeds from current borrowings 
Acquisition of additional interest in subsidiaries
Payment of profit participation certificates
Dividend paid to non controlling interests
Dividend paid to equity holders of the parent
net cash generated by financing activities
(Decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year
cash and cash equivalents, end of year

Notes

2011

2010

4 004

4 340

1 066
– 1 972
1
– 9
92
72
847
4 101

– 1 797
239
– 1 616
– 3 174
– 472
121
– 919
– 343

– 320
– 350
4
– 919
0
155
– 2 606
– 204
184
366
– 3 690

7 616
237
– 681
– 700
0
221
– 169
384
– 1 493
– 315
– 861
– 18
– 346
3 875
– 158
1 463
1 305

1 026
– 1 829
11
6
178
– 434
936
4 234

– 4 142
– 1 724
2 868
– 2 998
– 323
229
– 1 031
111

– 825
– 624
0
– 191
– 2 000
131
– 1 657
– 233
420
224
– 4 755

0
2 317
327
0
283
776
– 413
0
2 945
– 75
– 883
– 28
– 2
5 247
603
860
 1 463

22

3

13

15

1  Includes movements in other financial assets, prepaid expenses, other assets and other non cash current assets.
2   Includes movements in other financial liabilities and current provisions.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  109
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  109

 
 
Financial StatementS

conSolidAted StAtement of cHAnGeS in eqUity
foR tHe yeARS ended 31 decembeR

Total  
reserves 
and   
retained 
earnings

Share 
capital

Total 
equity 
attribut-
able to 
equity 
holders

Non 
control-
ling 
interests

Total 
equity

Retained 
earnings

Share 
premium 1 

Other 
reserves 1 

4 413

0

0

4 413

1 291

– 43

– 2

0

0

0

0

5 659

5 659

4 048

– 25

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

5 694

7 607

21

0

0

0

– 346

0

0

58

0

0

0

– 18

4 395

0

9

– 9

0

– 141

0

0

0

9

4 404

1 291

– 184

– 2

0

– 134

– 134

0

12

0

12

46

– 46

37

37

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

4 441

1 258

5 699

– 46

46

4 441

1 291

– 184

– 2

0

– 134

0

12

0

0

1 258

355

18

0

– 28

59

– 46

46

5 699

1 646

– 166

– 2

– 28

– 75

1 232

1 232

0

12

– 272

5 387

37

5 424

2 894

8 318

– 272

0

5 387

4 048

– 1 270

– 1 295

0

0

0

0

0

– 98

0

0

13 821

– 7

7 607

21

58

– 98

0

– 346

37

0

0

5 424

4 048

– 1 295

16

13 837

7

9

0

0

0

0

0

0

7 616

21

58

– 98

0

– 346

2 894

220

– 6

0

0

0

0

0

– 235

215

– 18

8 318

4 268

– 1 301

13 837

0

7 616

21

58

– 333

215

– 364

4 039

26 797

– 1 640

29 196

69

29 265

3 070

32 335

US $ million

at 1 January 2010

Class B shares redeemed pursuant to the Restructuring ¹

Ordinary shares issued pursuant to the Restructuring ¹

at 1 January 2010 (restated)

Income for the year

Other comprehensive (loss)/income

Dividends paid 2

Return of capital to non controlling interests

Change in ownership interest in subsidiaries

Acquisition of subsidiaries

Equity portion of Convertible bonds

at 31 December 2010 (restated)

at 1 January 2011

Income for the year

Other comprehensive loss

Issue of share capital 1

Tax on Listing related expenses 3

Equity settled share-based payments 4

Change in ownership interest in subsidiaries

Acquisition of subsidiaries

Dividends paid 2

at 31 December 2011

1  See note 13.
²  See note 15.
³  See note 4.
4  See note 16.

Conversion of HPPS and PPS profit participation plans ¹ 

0

13 821

Conversion of LTS and LTPPS profit participation plans ¹

– 5 701

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

110  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
110  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

 
 
Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

noteS to tHe finAnciAl StAtementS

1. AccoUntinG policieS

corporate information
The Glencore Group (Glencore) is a leading integrated marketer 
and producer of natural resources, with worldwide activities in 
the marketing of metals and minerals, energy products and ag-
ricultural products and the production, refinement, processing, 
storage and transport of these products. Glencore operates on 
a  global  scale,  marketing  and  distributing  physical  commodi-
ties  sourced  from  third  party  producers  and  own  production 
to industrial consumers, such as those in the automotive, steel, 
power generation, oil and food processing industries. Glencore 
also provides financing, logistics and other services to produ­
cers  and  consumers  of  commodities.  Glencore’s  long  experi-
ence as a commodity merchant has allowed it to develop and 
build  upon  its  expertise  in  the  commodities  which  it  markets 
and cultivate long-term relationships with a broad supplier and 
customer  base  across  diverse  industries  and  in  multiple  geo-
graphic regions. Glencore’s marketing activities are supported 
by investments in industrial assets operating in Glencore’s core 
commodities. 

These consolidated financial statements were authorised for is-
sue in accordance with a Directors’ resolution on 26 March 2012. 

listing/Restructuring of the Group
On  24  May  2011,  Glencore  International  plc  (the  “Company”) 
was admitted to the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and 
commenced trading on the London Stock Exchange’s premium 
listed market and on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 25 May 
2011 via a secondary listing (the “Listing”). The Company is in-
corporated in Jersey, domiciled in Switzerland, and is the new 
ultimate parent company of Glencore and owner of 100% of the 
issued  share  capital  of  Glencore  International  AG,  following  a 
restructuring  of  the  ownership  interests  in  Glencore  Interna-
tional AG immediately prior to admission (the “Restructuring”) 
(see note 13). The Company’s registered office is at Queensway 
House, Hilgrove Street, St Helier, Jersey, JE1 1ES.

Although  this  consolidated  financial  information  has  been  re-
leased  in  the  name  of  the  parent,  Glencore  International  plc, 
it  represents  in­substance continuation of the existing  Group, 
headed  by  Glencore  International  AG  and  the  following  ac-
counting  treatment  has  been  applied  to  account  for  the  Re-
structuring:

structuring, the equity structure reflects the applicable move-
ments  in  equity  of  Glencore  International  plc,  including  the 
equity instruments issued to effect the Restructuring and the 
Listing; and

•  comparative numbers presented in the consolidated financial 
statements  are  those  reported  in  the  consolidated  financial 
statements of Glencore International AG, for the year ended 
31 December 2010, except for the presentation of the share 
capital,  other  reserves  and  per  share  amounts,  which  have 
been restated to reflect the change in the nominal value of the 
ordinary shares resulting from the Restructuring as if Glencore 
International  plc  had  been  the  parent  company  during  such 
periods.

Statement of compliance
The accounting policies adopted are in accordance with:
•  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards  (IFRS)  and  inter-
pretations as adopted by the European Union (EU) effective 
as of 31 December 2011; and

•  IFRS  and  interpretations  as  issued  by  the  International  Ac-
counting Standards Board (IASB) effective as of 31 December 
2011.

Basis of preparation
The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost 
convention  except  for  the  revaluation  to  fair  value  of  certain 
financial  assets,  liabilities  and  marketing  inventories  and  have 
been  prepared  on  a  going  concern  basis.  The  Directors  have 
made this assessment after consideration of the Group’s budg-
eted  cash  flows  and  related  assumptions,  including  appropri-
ate stress testing thereof, key risks and uncertainties, undrawn 
debt facilities and debt maturity review and in accordance with 
the Going Concern and Liquidity Guidance for Directors of UK 
Companies  2009  published  by  the  Financial  Reporting  Coun-
cil. Further information on Glencore’s business activities, cash 
flows, liquidity and performance are set out in the Business re-
view and its objectives, policies and processes for managing its 
capital and financial risks are detailed in note 23.

All amounts are expressed in millions of United States Dollars, 
unless other wise stated, consistent with the predominant func-
tional currency of Glencore’s operations.

•  the  consolidated  assets  and  liabilities  of  the  subsidiary 
Glencore International AG were recognised and measured at 
the pre­Restructuring carrying amounts, without restatement 
to fair value;

In  accordance  with  Article  105(11)  of  the  Companies  (Jersey) 
Law 1991, the parent company is not required to present sepa-
rate financial statements as consolidated statements have been 
presented.

•  the retained earnings and other equity balances recognised 
in the consolidated statement of financial position reflect the 
consolidated retained earnings and other equity balances of 
Glencore  International  AG,  as  at  24  May  2011,  immediately 
prior to the Restructuring, and the results of the period from 
1 January 2011 to 24 May 2011, the date of the Restructuring, 
are those of Glencore International AG as the Company was 
not active prior to the Restructuring. Subsequent to the Re-

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  111
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  111

Financial StatementS

changes in accounting policies and comparability
The following amendments to the existing standards and inter-
pretations were adopted as of 1 January 2011:
•  IAS 24 – Related Party disclosures;
•  IFRIC  14  –  Prepayments  of  a  minimum  funding  requirement 

(amendment);

•  IFRIC 19 – Extinguishing financial liabilities with equity instru-

ments. 

The adoption of these new and revised standards and interpre-
tations did not have a material impact on the recognition, meas-
urement or disclosure of reported amounts.

In  addition, Glencore adopted IFRS 2 –  Share­based Payment 
which details the accounting and disclosure requirements with 
respect to the phantom equity award plan (see note 16) estab-
lished concurrent with the Listing and IAS 38 – Intangible Assets 
with respect to the acquisition of the Pacorini Group and other 
business combinations completed during the year and the rec-
ognition and accounting for goodwill and other intangible as-
sets (see notes 22 and 6). 

At the date of authorisation of these financial statements, the 
following standards and interpretations applicable to Glencore 
were issued but not yet effective:
•  IFRS 9 – Financial Instruments 
•  IFRS 10 – Consolidated Financial Statements
•  IFRS 11 – Joint Arrangements
•  IFRS 12 – Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities
•  IFRS 13 – Fair Value Measurement
•  IAS 19 – Employee Benefits (2011)
•  IAS 27 – Separate Financial Statements (2011)
•  IAS 28 – Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures (2011)
•  Amendments to IFRS 7 – Financial Instruments: Disclosures
•  Amendments to IAS 1 – Presentation of Items of Other Com-

prehensive Income

•  Amendments to IAS 12 – Deferred Tax: Recovery of Underly-

ing Assets

•  Amendments to IAS 32 – Offsetting Financial Assets and Fi-

nancial Liabilities

•  IFRIC 20 – Stripping Costs in the Production Phase of a Sur-

face Mine

The  Directors  are  currently  evaluating  the  impact  these  new 
standards  and  interpretations  will  have  on  the  financial  state-
ments of Glencore.

Principles of consolidation
The consolidated financial statements of Glencore include the 
accounts  of  the  Company  and  its  subsidiaries.  A  subsidiary  is 
an entity that is ultimately controlled by the Company. Control 
is  the  power  to  govern  the  financial  and  operating  policies  of 
an entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities. Control is 
usually  assumed  where  Glencore  ultimately  owns  or  controls 
more  than  50%  of  the  voting  rights,  unless  evidence  exists  to 
the contrary. The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of 
during the year are consolidated from the effective date of ac-
quisition or up to the effective date of disposal, as appropriate. 
All intercompany balances, transactions and unrealised profits 
are eliminated.

Non  controlling  interests  in  subsidiaries  are  identified  sepa-
rately from Glencore’s equity and are initially measured either 
at  fair  value  or  at  the  non  controlling  interests’  proportionate 
share of the fair value of the acquiree’s identifiable net assets. 
Subsequent to acquisition, the carrying amount of non control-
ling  interests  is  the  amount  of  those  interests  at  initial  recog-
nition  plus  the  non  controlling  interests’  share  of  subsequent 
changes in equity. Total comprehensive income is attributed to 
non controlling interests even if this results in the non controlling 
interests having a deficit balance.

Changes in Glencore’s interests in subsidiaries that do not re-
sult in a loss of control are accounted for as equity transactions 
with any difference between the amount by which the non con-
trolling interests are adjusted and the fair value of the consid-
eration paid or received being recognised directly in equity and 
attributed to equity holders of Glencore.

investments in associates, jointly controlled entities and joint 
venture operations
Associates and jointly controlled entities (together Associates) 
in which Glencore exercises significant influence or joint control 
are  accounted  for  using  the  equity  method.  Significant  influ-
ence is the power to participate in the financial and operating 
policy  decisions  of  the  investee  but  is  not  control  over  those 
policies. Significant influence is presumed if Glencore holds be-
tween 20% and 50% of the voting rights, unless evidence exists 
to the contrary. Joint control is the contractually agreed sharing 
of control over an economic entity where strategic and/or key 
operating decisions require unanimous decision making.

Equity accounting involves Glencore recording its share of the 
Associate’s net income and equity. Glencore’s interest in an As-
sociate is initially recorded at cost and is subsequently adjusted 
for Glencore’s share of changes in net assets of the Associate, 
less  any  impairment  in  the  value  of  individual  investments. 
Where Glencore transacts with an Associate, unrealised profits 
and losses are eliminated to the extent of Glencore’s interest in 
that Associate.

Changes in Glencore’s interests in Associates are accounted for 
as a gain or loss on disposal with any difference between the 
amount by which the carrying value of the Associate is adjusted 
and  the  fair  value  of  the  consideration  received  being  recog-
nised directly in the statement of income.

Where  Glencore  undertakes  activities  under  joint  venture  op-
eration or asset arrangements, Glencore reports such interests 
using  the  proportionate  consolidation  method.  Glencore’s 
share of the assets, liabilities, income, expenses and cash flows 
of jointly controlled operations or asset arrangements are con-
solidated with the equivalent items in the consolidated financial 
statements on a line by line basis.

Business combinations
Acquisitions  of  subsidiaries  and  businesses  are  accounted  for 
using the acquisition method of accounting, whereby the iden-
tifiable  assets,  liabilities  and  contingent  liabilities  (identifiable 
net assets) are measured on the basis of fair value at the date 
of  acquisition.  Acquisition  related  costs  are  recognised  in  the 
statement of income as incurred. 

112  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
112  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Where a business combination is achieved in stages, Glencore’s 
previously held interests in the acquired entity are remeasured 
to  fair  value  at  the  acquisition  date  (i.e.  the  date  Glencore  at-
tains control) and the resulting gain or loss, if any, is recognised 
in the statement of income. 

Interest  and  dividend  income  is  recognised  when  the  right  to 
receive payment has been established, it is probable that the 
economic benefits will flow to Glencore and the amount of in-
come can be measured reliably. Interest income is accrued on a 
time basis, by reference to the principal outstanding and at the 
applicable effective interest rate.

Where the fair value of consideration transferred for a business 
combination exceeds the fair values attributable to Glencore’s 
share  of  the  identifiable  net  assets,  the  difference  is  treated 
as purchased goodwill, which is not amortised but is reviewed  
annually  for  impairment  and  when  there  is  an  indication  of 
impairment.  Any  impairment  identified  is  immediately  recog-
nised in the statement of income. If the fair value attributable 
to  Glencore’s  share  of  the  identifiable  net  assets  exceeds  the 
consideration transferred, the difference is immediately recog-
nised in the statement of income.

Similar procedures are applied in accounting for the purchases 
of interests in Associates. Any goodwill arising from such pur-
chases  is  included  within  the  carrying  amount  of  the  invest-
ment in Associates, but not amortised thereafter. Any excess of 
Glencore’s share of the net fair value of the Associate’s identifi-
able net assets over the cost of the investment is included in the 
statement of income in the period of the purchase.

The main operating and finance subsidiaries and investments of 
Glencore are listed in note 30.

non current assets held for sale and disposal groups
Non current assets and assets and liabilities included in dispos-
al groups are classified as held for sale if their carrying amount 
will  be  recovered  principally  through  a  sale  transaction  rather 
than through continuing use, they are available for immediate  
disposal  and  the  sale  is  highly  probable.  Non  current  assets 
held for sale are measured at the lower of their carrying amount 
or fair value less costs to sell.

Revenue recognition
Revenue  is  recognised  when  the  seller  has  transferred  to  the 
buyer  all  significant  risks  and  rewards  of  ownership  of  the  as-
sets  sold.  Revenue  excludes  any  applicable  sales  taxes  and  is 
recognised at the fair value of the consideration received or re-
ceivable to the extent that it is probable that economic benefits 
will flow to Glencore and the revenues and costs can be reliably 
measured. In most instances sales revenue is recognised when 
the  product  is  delivered  to  the  destination  specified  by  the  
customer, which is typically the vessel on which it is shipped, the 
destination port or the customer’s premises.

For  certain  commodities,  the  sales  price  is  determined  on  a 
provisional basis at the date of sale as the final selling price is 
subject to movements in market prices up to the date of final 
pricing, normally ranging from 30 to 90 days after initial book-
ing. Revenue on provisionally priced sales is recognised based 
on the estimated fair value of the total consideration receivable. 
The  revenue  adjustment  mechanism  embedded  within  provi-
sionally priced sales arrangements has the character of a com-
modity derivative. Accordingly, the fair value of the final sales 
price  adjustment  is  re-estimated continuously and changes in 
fair value are recognised as an adjustment to revenue. In all cas-
es, fair value is estimated by reference to forward market prices.

Foreign currency translation
Glencore’s  reporting  currency  and  the  functional  currency  of 
the majority of its operations is the U.S. Dollar as this is assessed 
to  be  the  principal  currency  of  the  economic  environment  in 
which they operate.

Foreign currency transactions
Transactions in foreign currencies are converted into the func-
tional  currency  of  each  entity  using  the  exchange  rate  pre-
vailing  at  the  transaction  date.  Monetary  assets  and  liabilities 
outstanding at year end are converted at year end rates. The re-
sulting exchange differences are recorded in the consolidated 
statement of income.

Translation of financial statements
For the purposes of consolidation, assets and liabilities of group 
companies whose functional currency is in a currency other than 
the  U.S.  Dollar  are  translated  into  U.S.  Dollars  using  year  end 
exchange rates, while their statements of income are translat-
ed using average rates of exchange for the year. Goodwill and 
fair value adjustments arising from the acquisition of a foreign 
 operation  are  treated  as  assets  and  liabilities  of  the  foreign 
 operation  and  are  translated  at  the  closing  rate.  Translation 
adjustments  are  included  as  a  separate  component  of  share-
holders’ equity and have no statement of income impact to the 
extent that no disposal of the foreign operation has occurred.

Repurchase agreements
Glencore enters into repurchase transactions where it sells cer-
tain marketing inventories, but retains all or a significant portion 
of  the  risks  and  rewards  relating  to  the  transferred  inventory. 
Repurchase  transactions  are  treated  as  collateralised  borrow-
ings,  whereby  the  inventories  are  not  derecognised  from  the 
statement of financial position and the cash received is recorded 
as a corresponding obligation within the statement of financial 
position as “commodities sold with agreements to repurchase” 
or, if the repurchase obligation is optional, within “trade advances 
from buyers”. 

Borrowing costs
Borrowing  costs  are  expensed  as  incurred  except  where  they 
relate to the financing of construction or development of quali-
fying  assets  in  which  case  they  are  capitalised  up  to  the  date 
when the qualifying asset is ready for its intended use.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  113
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  113

Financial StatementS

Retirement benefits
Glencore operates various pension schemes in accordance with 
local  requirements  and  practices  of  the  respective  countries. 
The annual costs for defined contribution plans that are funded 
by  payments  to  separate  trustee  administered  funds  or  insur-
ance companies equal the contributions that are required un-
der  the  plans and are accounted for as an expense. Glencore 
uses  the  projected  unit  credit  actuarial  method  to  determine 
the present value of its defined benefit obligations and the re-
lated  current  service  cost  and,  where  applicable,  past  service 
cost. 

Actuarial gains and losses are accounted for using the corridor 
method. Under this method, to the extent that any cumulative 
unrecognised actuarial gain or loss exceeds 10% of the greater 
of the present value of the defined benefit obligation and the 
fair  value  of  plan  assets,  that  excess  is  recognised  in  income 
over the expected average remaining working lives of the em-
ployees participating in the plan. Past service cost is recognised 
immediately to the extent that the benefits are already vested, 
and otherwise is amortised on a straight line basis over the aver-
age period until the benefits become vested.

Share-based payments
Equity-settled share-based payments
Equity-settled share-based payments are measured at the fair 
value of the awards based on the market value of the shares at 
the  grant  date.  Fair  value  excludes  the  effect  of  non  market­
based vesting conditions. The fair value is charged to the state-
ment of income and credited to retained earnings on a straight-
line basis over the period the estimated number of awards are 
expected to vest. 

At each balance sheet date, Glencore revises its estimate of the 
number  of  equity  instruments  expected  to  vest  as  a  result  of 
the effect of non market­based vesting conditions. The impact 
of  the  revision  of  the  original  estimates,  if  any,  is  recognised 
in  profit  or  loss such that the cumulative  expense  reflects the 
revised estimate, with a corresponding adjustment to retained 
earnings.

Cash-settled share-based payments
For cash­settled share­based payments, a liability is initially rec-
ognised at fair value based on the estimated number of awards 
that are expected to vest, adjusting for market and non market 
based  performance  conditions.  Subsequently,  at  each  report-
ing period until the liability is settled, the liability is remeasured 
to  fair  value  with  any  changes  in  fair  value  recognised  in  the 
statement of income.

income taxes
Income  taxes  consist  of  current  and  deferred  income  taxes. 
Current taxes represent income taxes expected to be payable 
based on enacted or substantively enacted tax rates at the pe-
riod end and expected current taxable income, and any adjust-
ment to tax payable in respect of previous years. Deferred taxes 
are recognised for temporary differences between the carrying 
amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and 
the  corresponding  tax  bases  used  in  the  computation  of  tax-
able profit, using enacted or substantively enacted income tax 

rates which will be effective at the time of reversal of the under-
lying temporary difference. Deferred tax assets and unused tax 
losses are only recognised to the extent that their recoverability 
is probable. Deferred tax assets are reviewed at reporting pe-
riod end and amended to the extent that it is no longer prob-
able that the related benefit will be realised. To the extent that 
a deferred tax asset not previously recognised fulfils the criteria 
for recognition, an asset is recognised. 

Deferred  tax  assets  and  liabilities  are  offset  when  they  relate 
to income taxes levied by the same authority and Glencore has 
both the right and the intention to settle its current tax assets 
and liabilities on a net or simultaneous basis. The tax effect of 
certain temporary differences is not recognised principally with 
respect  to  the  initial  recognition  of  an  asset  or  liability  (other 
than  those  arising  in  a  business  combination  or  in  a  manner 
that  initially  impacted  accounting  or  taxable  profit)  and  tem-
porary  differences  relating  to  investments  in  subsidiaries  and 
associates to the extent that Glencore can control the timing of 
the reversal of the temporary difference and it is probable the 
temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future. 
Deferred  tax  is  provided  in  respect  of  fair  value  adjustments 
on  acquisitions.  These  adjustments  may  relate  to  assets  such 
as extraction rights that, in general, are not eligible for income 
tax allowances.

Royalties,  extraction  taxes  and  other  levies/taxes  are  treated 
as  taxation  arrangements  when  they  have  the  characteristics 
of an income tax including being imposed and determined in 
accordance with regulations established by the respective gov-
ernment’s taxation authority.

Current and deferred tax are recognised as an expense or in-
come  in  the  statement  of  income,  except  when  they  relate  to 
items  that  are  recognised  outside  the  statement  of  income 
(whether in other comprehensive income or directly in equity) 
or  where  they  arise  from  the  initial  accounting  for  a  business 
combination.

exploration and evaluation expenditure
Exploration  and  evaluation  expenditure  relates  to  costs  in-
curred  on  the  exploration  and  evaluation  of  potential  mineral 
and petroleum resources and includes costs such as research-
ing and analysing historical exploration data, exploratory drill-
ing, trenching, sampling and the costs of pre­feasibility studies. 
Exploration and evaluation expenditure for each area of inter-
est, other than that acquired from the purchase of another com-
pany, is charged to the statement of income as incurred except 
when the expenditure will be recouped from future exploitation 
or sale of the area of interest and it is planned to continue with 
active  and  significant  operations  in  relation  to  the  area,  or  at 
the reporting period end, the activity has not reached a stage 
which  permits  a  reasonable  assessment  of  the  existence  of 
commercially recoverable reserves, in which case the expendi-
ture is capitalised. Purchased exploration and evaluation assets 
are recognised at their fair value at acquisition. 

Capitalised exploration and evaluation expenditure is recorded 
as  a  component  of  mineral  and  petroleum  rights  in  property, 
plant and equipment.

114  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
114  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

All capitalised exploration and evaluation expenditure is moni-
tored for indications of impairment. Where a potential impair-
ment is indicated, an assessment is performed for each area of 
interest or at the cash generating unit level. To the extent that 
capitalised  expenditure  is  not  expected  to  be  recovered  it  is 
charged to the statement of income.

Development expenditure
When  commercially  recoverable  reserves  are  determined  and 
such development receives the appropriate approvals, capital-
ised  exploration  and  evaluation  expenditure  is  transferred  to 
construction  in  progress.  Upon  completion  of  development 
and  commencement  of  production,  capitalised  development 
costs  are  transferred  as  required  to  either  mineral  and  petro-
leum rights or deferred mining costs and depreciated using the 
unit of production method (UOP).

Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets are stat-
ed  at  cost,  being  the  fair  value  of  the  consideration  given  to 
acquire  or  construct  the  asset,  including  directly  attributable 
costs required to bring the asset to the location or to a condi-
tion necessary for operation and the direct cost of dismantling 
and  removing  the  asset,  less  accumulated  depreciation  and 
any accumulated impairment losses. Intangible assets include 
goodwill, future warehousing fees and trademarks.

Property,  plant  and  equipment  and  intangible  assets  are  de-
preciated to their estimated residual value over the estimated 
useful life of the specific asset concerned, or the estimated re-
maining life of the associated mine, field or lease. Depreciation 
commences when the asset is available for use. Identifiable in-
tangible assets with the finite life are amortised on a straight-
line basis over their expected useful life. Goodwill is not depre-
ciated.

The major categories of property, plant and equipment are de-
preciated on a UOP and/or straight­line basis as follows:

Buildings

Land

Plant and equipment

Mineral rights and development costs

Deferred mining costs

10 – 45 years

not depreciated

3 – 30 years/UOP

UOP

UOP

Assets  under  finance  leases,  where  substantially  all  the  risks 
and rewards of ownership transfer to the Group as lessee, are 
capitalised  and  amortised  over  their  expected  useful  lives  on 
the same basis as owned assets or, where shorter, the term of 
the  relevant  lease.  All  other  leases  are  classified  as  operating 
leases, the expenditures for which, are charged against income 
over the accounting periods covered by the lease term.

Deferred stripping costs
Stripping costs incurred in the development of a mine (or pit) 
before  production  commences  are  capitalised  as  part  of  the 
cost of constructing the mine (or pit) and subsequently amor-
tised  over  the  life  of  the  mine  (or  pit)  on  a  unit  of  production 
basis. Production stripping costs are deferred when the actual 
stripping ratio incurred significantly exceeds the expected long 
term  average  stripping  ratio  and  are  subsequently  amortised 
when the actual stripping ratio falls below the long term aver-
age stripping ratio. Where the ore is expected to be evenly dis-
tributed, waste removal is expensed as incurred.

mineral and petroleum rights
Mineral and petroleum reserves, resources and rights (together 
Mineral Rights) which can be reasonably valued, are recognised 
in the assessment of fair values on acquisition. Mineral Rights 
for which values cannot be reasonably determined are not rec-
ognised.  Exploitable  Mineral  Rights  are  amortised  using  the 
UOP over the commercially recoverable reserves and, in certain 
circumstances, other mineral resources. Mineral resources are 
included in amortisation calculations where there is a high de-
gree of confidence that they will be extracted in an economic 
manner.

Restoration, rehabilitation and decommissioning
Restoration,  rehabilitation  and  decommissioning  costs   arising 
from  the  installation  of  plant  and  other  site  preparation  work, 
discounted  to  their  net  present  value,  are  provided  for  and 
capitalised at the time such an obligation arises. The costs are 
charged to the statement of income over the life of the opera-
tion through depreciation of the asset and the unwinding of the 
discount on the provision.

Costs  for  restoration  of  subsequent  site  disturbance,  which  is 
created on an ongoing basis during production, are provided 
for at their net present values and charged to the statement of 
income as extraction progresses.

Other investments
Equity  investments,  other  than  investments  in  Associates,  are 
recorded at fair value unless such fair value is not reliably de-
terminable  in  which  case  they  are  carried  at  cost.  Changes  in 
fair value are recorded in the statement of income unless they 
are classified as available for sale, in which case fair value move-
ments are recognised in other comprehensive income and are 
subsequently recognised in the statement of income when real-
ised by sale or redemption, or when a reduction in fair value is 
judged to be a significant or prolonged decline.

impairment
Glencore conducts at least annually an internal review of asset 
values  which  is  used  as  a  source  of  information  to  assess  for 
any indications of impairment. Formal impairment tests are car-
ried out at least annually for cash generating units containing 
goodwill  and  for  all  other  non  current  assets  when  events  or 
changes  in  circumstances  indicate  the  carrying  value  may  not 
be recoverable. 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  115
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  115

Financial StatementS

A formal impairment test involves determining whether the car-
rying amounts are in excess of their recoverable amounts. An 
asset’s  recoverable  amount  is  determined  as  the  higher  of  its 
fair value less costs to sell and its value in use. Such reviews are 
undertaken on an asset­by­asset basis, except where assets do 
not generate cash flows independent of other assets, in which 
case the review is undertaken at the cash generating unit level.

If  the  carrying  amount  of  an  asset  exceeds  its  recoverable 
amount, an impairment loss is recorded in the income statement 
to reflect the asset at the lower amount. 

An  impairment  loss  is  reversed  in  the  statement  of  income  if 
there is a change in the estimates used to determine the recover-
able amount since the prior impairment loss was recognised. The 
carrying amount is increased to the recoverable amount but not 
beyond the carrying amount net of depreciation or amortisation 
which would have arisen if the prior impairment loss had not been 
recognised. Goodwill impairments and impairments of available 
for sale equity investments are not subsequently reversed.

Provisions
Provisions are recognised when Glencore has a present obliga-
tion, as a result of past events, and it is probable that an outflow 
of resources embodying economic benefits that can be reliably 
estimated will be required to settle the liability.

convertible bonds
At  the  date  of  issue,  the  fair  value  of  the  liability  component 
is determined by discounting the contractual future cash flows 
using a market rate for a similar non convertible instrument. The 
liability  component  is  recorded  as  a  liability  on  an  amortised 
cost basis using the effective interest method. The equity com-
ponent is recognised as the difference between the fair value of 
the proceeds as a whole and the fair value of the liability com-
ponent and it is not subsequently remeasured. On conversion, 
the liability is reclassified to equity and no gain or loss is recog-
nised in the statement of income and upon expiry of the conver-
sion rights, any remaining equity portion will be transferred to 
retained earnings.

Derivatives and hedging activities
Derivative instruments, which include physical contracts to sell 
or purchase commodities that do not meet the own use exemp-
tion,  are  initially  recognised  at  fair  value  when  Glencore  be-
comes a party to the contractual provisions  of the instrument 
and  are  subsequently  remeasured  to  fair  value  at  the  end  of 
each reporting period. Fair values are determined using quoted 
market prices, dealer price quotations or using models and oth-
er valuation techniques, the key inputs for which include current 
market  and  contractual  prices  for  the  underlying  instrument, 
time  to  expiry,  yield  curves,  volatility  of  the  underlying  instru-
ment and counterparty risk.

inventories
The  majority  of  marketing  inventories  are  valued  at  fair  value 
less costs to sell with the remainder valued at the lower of cost 
or net realisable value. Unrealised gains and losses from chang-
es in fair value are reported in cost of goods sold.

Gains  and  losses  on  derivative  instruments  for  which  hedge 
 accounting is not applied, other than the revenue adjustment 
mechanism  embedded  within  provisionally  priced  sales,  are 
recognised in cost of goods sold.

Production inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net real-
isable value. Cost is determined using the first in first out (FIFO) 
or the weighted average method and comprises material costs, 
labour costs and allocated production related overhead costs. 
Financing and storage costs related to inventory are  expensed 
as incurred.

cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash held at bank, cash in 
hand and short-term bank deposits with an original maturity of 
three months or less. The carrying amount of these assets ap-
proximates their fair value.

Financial instruments
Financial  assets  are  classified  as  either  financial  assets  at  fair 
value  through  profit  or  loss,  loans  and  receivables,  held­to­
maturity  investments  or  available  for  sale  financial  assets  de-
pending upon the purpose for which the financial assets were 
acquired. Financial assets are initially recognised at fair value on 
the trade date, including, in the case of instruments not record-
ed at fair value through profit or loss, directly attributable trans-
action  costs.  Subsequently,  financial  assets  are  carried  at  fair 
value (other investments, derivatives and marketable secur ities) 
or  amortised  cost  less  impairment  (accounts  receivable  and 
 advances and loans). Financial liabilities other than derivatives 
are  initially  recognised  at  fair  value  of  consideration  received 
net  of  transaction  costs  as  appropriate  and  subsequently  car-
ried at amortised cost.

116  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
116  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Those  derivatives  qualifying  and  designated  as  hedges  are 
 either  (i)  a  Fair  Value  Hedge  of  the  change  in  fair  value  of  a 
recognised  asset  or  liability  or  an  unrecognised  firm  commit-
ment, or (ii) a Cash Flow Hedge of the change in cashflows to 
be received or paid relating to a recognised asset or liability or 
a highly probable transaction.

A  change  in  the  fair  value  of  derivatives  designated  as  a  Fair 
Value  Hedge  is  reflected  together  with  the  change  in  the  fair 
value of the hedged item in the statement of income. 

A change in the fair value of derivatives designated as a Cash 
Flow Hedge is initially recognised as a cash flow hedge  reserve 
in shareholders’ equity. The deferred amount is then released 
to the statement of income in the same periods during which 
the  hedged  transaction  affects  the  statement  of  income. 
Hedge ineffectiveness is recorded in the statement of income 
when it occurs.

When a hedging instrument expires or is sold, or when a hedge 
no longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting, any cumula-
tive gain or loss existing in equity at that time remains in share-
holders’  equity  and  is  recognised  in  the  statement  of  income 
when the committed or forecast transaction is ultimately recog-
nised in the statement of income. However, if a forecast or com-
mitted transaction is no longer expected to occur, the cumula-
tive  gain  or  loss  that  was  recognised  in  equity  is  immediately 
transferred to the statement of income.

Financial StatementS
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A derivative may be embedded in a “host contract”. Such com-
binations  are  known  as  hybrid  instruments  and  at  the  date  of 
issuance, the embedded derivative is separated from the host 
contract  and  accounted  for  as  a  stand  alone  derivative  if  the 
criteria for separation are met. The host contract is accounted 
for in accordance with its relevant accounting policy.

critical accounting policies, key judgments and estimates
The  preparation  of  the  consolidated  financial  statements  re-
quires  management  to  make  estimates  and  assumptions  that 
affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as well as 
the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of 
the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues 
and expenses during the reporting period. 

The  estimates  and  associated  assumptions  are  based  on  his-
torical experience and other factors that are considered to be 
relevant. Actual outcomes could differ from those estimates.

Glencore  has  identified  the  following  areas  as  being  critical 
to understanding Glencore’s financial position as they require 
management  to  make  complex  and/or  subjective  judgments 
and estimates about matters that are inherently uncertain:

Valuation of derivative instruments
Derivative  instruments  are  carried  at  fair  value  and  Glencore 
evaluates the quality and reliability of the assumptions and data 
used to measure fair value in the three hierarchy levels, Level 1, 
2 and 3, as prescribed by IFRS 7. Fair values are determined in 
the following ways: externally verified via comparison to quot-
ed  market  prices  in  active  markets  (Level  1);  by  using  models 
with  externally  verifiable  inputs  (Level  2);  or  by  using  alterna-
tive procedures such as comparison to comparable instruments 
and/or  using  models  with  unobservable  market  inputs  requir-
ing Glencore to make market based assumptions (Level 3). For 
more details refer to note 24.

Depreciation and amortisation of mineral and petroleum rights, 
project development costs and plant and equipment
Mineral and petroleum rights, project development costs and 
certain  plant  and  equipment  are  amortised  using  UOP.  The 
calculation of the UOP rate of amortisation, and therefore the 
annual  amortisation  charge  to  operations,  can  fluctuate  from 
initial estimates. This could generally result when there are sig-
nificant  changes  in  any  of  the  factors  or  assumptions  used  in 
estimating  mineral  or  petroleum  reserves,  notably  changes  in 
the geology of the reserves and assumptions used in determin-
ing  the  economic  feasibility  of  the  reserves.  Such  changes  in 
reserves could similarly impact the useful lives of assets depre-
ciated on a straight line basis, where those lives are limited to 
the life of the project, which in turn is limited to the life of the 
proven and probable mineral or petroleum reserves. Estimates 
of proven and probable reserves are prepared by experts in ex-
traction,  geology  and  reserve  determination.  Assessments  of 
UOP rates against the estimated reserve and resource base and 
the operating and development plan are performed regularly.

Impairments
Investments in Associates and other investments, advances and 
loans and property, plant and equipment and intangible assets 
are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in cir-
cumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be fully re-
coverable or at least annually for goodwill and other indefinite 
life  intangible  assets.  If  an  asset’s  recoverable  amount  is  less 
than the asset’s carrying amount, an impairment loss is recog-
nised.  Future  cash  flow  estimates  which  are  used  to  calculate 
the  asset’s  fair  value  are  based  on  expectations  about  future 
operations  primarily  comprising  estimates  about  production 
and sales volumes, commodity prices, reserves and resources, 
operating,  rehabilitation  and  restoration  costs  and  capital  ex-
penditures.  Changes  in  such  estimates  could  impact  recover-
able values of these assets. Estimates are reviewed regularly by 
management.

Provisions
The amount recognised as a provision, including tax, legal, res-
toration and rehabilitation, contractual and other exposures or 
obligations, is the best estimate of the consideration required 
to  settle  the  related  liability,  including  any  related  interest 
charges,  taking  into  account  the  risks  and  uncertainties  sur-
rounding the obligation. The Group assesses its liabilities and 
contingencies  based  upon  the  best  information  available,  rel-
evant tax laws and other appropriate requirements.

Restoration, rehabilitation and decommissioning costs
A provision for future restoration, rehabilitation and decommis-
sioning costs requires estimates and assumptions to be made 
around  the  relevant  regulatory  framework,  the  magnitude  of 
the  possible  disturbance  and  the  timing,  extent  and  costs  of 
the required closure and rehabilitation activities. To the extent 
that the actual future costs differ from these estimates, adjust-
ments will be recorded and the statement of income could be 
impacted. The provisions including the estimates and assump-
tions contained therein are reviewed regularly by management.

Taxation
Deferred tax assets are recognised only to the extent it is con-
sidered  probable  that  those  assets  will  be  recoverable.  This 
involves an assessment of when those deferred tax assets are 
likely  to  reverse,  and  a  judgement  as  to  whether  or  not  there 
will  be  sufficient  taxable  profits  available  to  offset  the  tax  as-
sets  when  they  do  reverse.  These  judgements  are  subject  to 
risk and uncertainty and hence, to the extent assumptions re-
garding future profitability change, there can be an increase or 
decrease in the amounts recognised in income in the period in 
which the change occurs. The recoverability of deferred tax as-
sets including the estimates and assumptions contained therein 
are reviewed regularly by management.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  117
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Financial StatementS

Fair value
In  addition  to recognising derivative instruments at fair  value, 
as discussed above, an assessment of fair value of assets and 
liabilities is also required in accounting for other transactions, 
most notably, business combinations and disclosures related to 
fair values of marketing inventories, financial assets and liabili-
ties. In such instances, fair value measurements are estimated 
based on the amounts for which the assets and liabilities could 
be exchanged at the relevant transaction date or reporting pe-
riod end, and are therefore not necessarily reflective of the like-
ly cashflow upon actual settlements. Where fair value measure-
ments  cannot  be  derived  from  publicly  available  information, 
they are estimated using models and other valuation methods. 
To the extent possible, the  assumptions and inputs used take 
into  account  externally  verifiable  inputs.  However,  such  infor-
mation  is  by  nature  subject  to  uncertainty,  particularly  where 
comparable market based transactions rarely exist.

118  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
118  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

2. SeGment infoRmAtion

Glencore is organised and operates on a worldwide basis in three core business segments – metals and minerals, energy products 
and agricultural products, with each business segment responsible for the marketing, sourcing, hedging, logistics and industrial 
investment activities of their respective products and reflecting the structure used by Glencore’s management to assess the 
 performance of Glencore.

The business segments’ contributions to the Group are primarily derived from the net margin or premium earned from physical 
marketing activities (net sale and purchase of physical commodities), provision of marketing and related value­add services and 
the margin earned from industrial asset activities (net resulting from the sale of physical commodities over the cost of production 
and/or cost of sales) and comprise the following underlying key commodities: 

•  Metals and minerals: Zinc, copper, lead, alumina, aluminium, ferro alloys, nickel, cobalt and iron ore, including smelting, refining,  

mining, processing and storage related operations of the relevant commodities; 

•  Energy products: Crude oil, oil products, steam coal and metallurgical coal supported by investments in coal mining and oil 

production operations, ports, vessels and storage facilities; 

•  Agriculture products: Wheat, corn, barley, rice, oil seeds, meals, edible oils, biofuels, cotton and sugar supported by investments 

in farming, storage, handling, processing and port facilities. 

Corporate and other: statement of income amounts represent Glencore’s share of income related to Xstrata and other unallocated 
Group related expenses (mainly variable pool bonus accrual). Balance sheet amounts represent Group related balances. 

The financial performance of the segments is principally evaluated with reference to Adjusted EBIT/EBITDA which is the net result 
of revenue less cost of goods sold and selling and administrative expenses plus share of income from associates and jointly con-
trolled entities and dividend income as disclosed on the face of the consolidated statement of income. Furthermore, given that 
funding costs in relation to working capital employed in the marketing activities are sought to be “recovered“ via transactional 
terms, the performance of marketing activities is also assessed at a net income level. 

The accounting policies of the operating  segments are  the  same  as those described in the summary of significant accounting 
 policies. Glencore accounts for inter­segment sales and transfers where applicable as if the sales or transfers were to third parties, 
i.e. at current market prices.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  119
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  119

 
 
Financial StatementS

2011
US $ million

Metals and 
minerals

Energy
products

Agricultural
products

Corporate 
and other

Total

Revenue from third parties

51 984

117 065

17 103

0

186 152

marketing activities

Adjusted EBIT

Depreciation and amortisation

adjusted eBitDa

industrial activities

Adjusted EBIT

Depreciation and amortisation

adjusted eBitDa

total adjusted eBitDa 

Depreciation and amortisation

total adjusted eBit 

Significant items ¹

  Other expense – net ²

  Share of Associates’ exceptional items ³

Interest expense – net 

Gain on sale of investments

Income tax credit

income before attribution

1 242

5

1 247

1 357

765

2 122

3 369

– 770

2 599

697

27

724

375

196

571

1 295

– 223

1 072

– 8

0

– 8

– 39

62

23

15

– 62

– 47

– 20

11

– 9

1 794

0

1 794

1 785

– 11

1 774

1 911

43

1 954

3 487

1 023

4 510

6 464

– 1 066

5 398

– 511

– 45

– 847

9

264

4 268

¹  Significant items of income and expense which, due to their financial impacts, nature or the expected infrequency of the events giving rise to 

them, have been separated for internal reporting and analysis of Glencore’s results. 

²  See note 3.
³  Share of Associates’ exceptional items comprise Glencore’s share of exceptional charges booked directly by Xstrata ($ 25 million) and Century 

($ 20 million).

2011
US $ million

Current assets 

Current liabilities

allocatable current capital employed

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets

Investments in Associates and other investments

Non current advances and loans

allocatable non current capital employed

Other assets 1

Other liabilities 2

total net assets

Metals and 
minerals

Energy
products

Agricultural
products

Corporate 
and other

18 506

– 7 676

10 830

9 367

169

2 950

1 280

13 766

0

0

17 605

– 11 312

6 293

4 210

29

1 060

2 723

8 022

0

0

5 110

– 1 589

3 521

1 062

12

206

138

1 418

0

0

24 596

14 315

4 939

3 165

– 2 675

 490

0

0

16 189

0

16 189

2 384

– 30 578

– 11 515

Total 

44 386

– 23 252

21 134

14 639

210

20 405

4 141

39 395

2 384

– 30 578

32 335

Additions to non current assets

1 463

1 510

227

0

3 200

1  Other assets include deferred tax assets, marketable securities and cash and cash equivalents.
2  Other liabilities include borrowings, deferred income, deferred tax liabilities, non current provisions and commodities sold with agreements 

to repurchase.

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Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

2010
US $ million

Metals and 
minerals

Energy
products

Agricultural
products

Corporate 
and other

Total

Revenue from third parties

45 211

89 349

10 418

0

144 978

marketing activities

Adjusted EBIT

Depreciation and amortisation

adjusted eBitDa

industrial activities

Adjusted EBIT

Depreciation and amortisation

adjusted eBitDa

total adjusted eBitDa

Depreciation and amortisation

total adjusted eBit

Significant items ¹

  Other expense – net ²

  Share of Associates’ exceptional items

Interest expense – net

Loss on sale of investments

Income tax expense

income before attribution

1 401

0

1 401

1 160

708

1 868

3 269

– 708

2 561

450

20

470

235

124

359

829

– 144

685

659

0

659

58

49

107

766

– 49

717

– 173

10

– 163

1 500

0

1 500

1 337

– 10

1 327

2 337

30

2 367

2 953

881

3 834

6 201

– 911

5 290

– 8

0

– 936

– 6

– 234

4 106

¹  Significant items of income and expense which, due to their financial impacts, nature or the expected infrequency of the events giving rise to 

them, have been separated for internal reporting and analysis of Glencore’s results. 

² See note 3.

2010
US $ million

Current assets 

Current liabilities

allocatable current capital employed

Property, plant and equipment

Investments in Associates and other investments

Non current advances and loans

allocatable non current capital employed

Other assets 1

Other liabilities  2

total net assets

Metals and 
minerals

Energy
products

Agricultural
products

Corporate 
and other

17 901

– 8 597

9 304

8 860

2 134

813

11 807

0

0

15 759

– 11 237

4 522

2 489

1 108

2 832

6 429

0

0

5 958

– 2 000

3 958

739

157

113

1 009

0

0

21 111

10 951

4 967

2 869

– 2 594

275

0

15 805

72

15 877

2 178

– 32 852

– 14 522

Total 

42 487

– 24 428

18 059

12 088

19 204

3 830

35 122

2 178

– 32 852

22 507

Additions to non current assets

1 001

818

71

0

1 890

1  Other assets include deferred tax assets, marketable securities, cash and cash equivalents and assets held for sale.
2  Other liabilities include borrowings, deferred income, deferred tax liabilities, provisions, commodities sold with agreements to repurchase 

and liabilities held for sale.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  121
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  121

 
 
Financial StatementS

Geographical information

US $ million

Revenue from third parties 1
The Americas

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

non current assets 2
The Americas

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

2011

2010

45 836

70 323

47 759

20 538

1 696

39 183

47 724

42 820

13 975

1 276

186 152

144 978

4 535

17 293

5 838

4 555

1 486

33 707

3 755

15 224

5 880

2 702

1 293

28 854

1  Revenue by geographical destination is based on the country of incorporation of the sales counterparty.
²  Non current assets are non current operating assets other than financial instruments and deferred tax assets.

3. otHeR expenSe – net

US $ million

Changes in mark to market valuations on investments held for trading – net 

Changes in mark to market valuation of certain coal forward contracts ¹

Listing related expenses

Other Listing related expenses – Phantom equity awards

Gain on settlement of restructured Russneft loans

Impairment on equity interest in various Russneft Group entities

(Impairment)/impairment reversal 

Prodeco transaction and related expenses 

Impairment of non current inventory ¹

Revaluation of previously held interest in newly acquired businesses

Foreign exchange (loss)/gain

Other

total

Notes

13

16

8

8

22

2011

– 92

25

– 286

– 58

0

0

– 6

– 63

– 26

0

– 8

 3

– 511

2010

– 178

– 790

0

0

382

– 336

674

– 225

0

462

31

– 28

– 8

¹  These  other  expense  items,  if  classified  by  function  of  expense  would  be  recognised  in  cost  of  goods  sold.  All  other  amounts  in  Other 

 expense – net are classified by function.

In addition to foreign exchange gains/(losses) and mark to market movements on investments held for trading, other expense – net 
includes other significant items of income and expense which due to their non operational nature or expected infrequency of the 
events giving rise to them are reported separately from operating segment results. Other expense – net includes, but is not limited 
to, impairment charges/reversals, revaluation of previously held interests in business combinations, restructuring and closure costs 
and Listing related expenses.

 changes in mark to market valuations on investments held for trading – net
Primarily relates to movements on interests in other investments classified as held for trading and carried at fair value, with Glencore’s 
interest in Century Aluminum Company cash settled equity swaps, Volcan Compania Minera S.A.A. and Nyrstar N.V.accounting 
 for the majority of the movement in 2011 and 2010.

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overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

changes in mark to market valuation of certain coal forward contracts
Represents  movements  in  fair  value  of  certain  fixed  price  forward  coal  sales  contracts  relating  to  Prodeco  Group’s  (Prodeco) 
future production, into which it plans to physically deliver. Following the legal reacquisition of Prodeco in March 2010, from an 
 accounting  perspective,  these  forward  sales  contracts  could  not  technically  be  classified  as  ‘own  use’  or  as  cashflow  hedges, 
which would have deferred the income statement effect until performance of the underlying future sale transactions. As at year 
end,  approximately 8.4 million tonnes (2010: 19.3 million tonnes) of such coal had been sold forward at a fixed price in respect of 
quarterly periods to the end of 2013. 

listing related expenses
Expenses incurred in connection with the Listing that relate to obtaining the listing for ordinary shares, the Restructuring and/
or change in the employee shareholder profit attribution model, rather than the costs incurred solely in relation to the issuance 
of the new (primary) equity (see note 13), comprise $ 91 million of stamp duty costs, $ 42 million of professional advisors’ costs 
and $ 153 million of compensation related costs.

 impairment reversal
In 2010, during the regular assessment of whether there is an indication of an asset impairment or whether a previously recorded 
impairment may no longer be required, an upward revision of long term base metals and coal price assumptions resulted in an 
impairment  reversal  of  $ 674  million  against  Glencore’s  interest  in  Xstrata.  The  recoverable  amount  of  Glencore’s  share  of  the 
underlying net assets has been determined on the basis of its fair value less costs to sell using discounted cash flow techniques. 

Prodeco transaction and related expenses
 In  March  2009,  Xstrata  acquired  Prodeco  for  $ 2  billion  and  concurrently  granted  Glencore  an  option  to  repurchase  Prodeco 
within 12 months for $ 2.25 billion plus notional profits accrued during the option period and the net balance of any cash invested. 
Given the fixed price repurchase option, the conditions for derecognition/disposal of Prodeco were not met under IFRS and as a 
consequence, Prodeco’s operations remained in the consolidated financial statements, while the “proceeds” were deferred and 
recognised as a liability. In March 2010, the option was exercised. Following the exercise of the option, in addition to the option 
repurchase expenses (including the option premium and profit entitlement), $ 115 million of additional depreciation expense was 
recognised in 2010 to reflect the depreciation that would have been charged if the related assets had not previously been classified 
as held for sale. Expenses recorded in 2011 relate to the final settlement of the option price.

Revaluation of previously held interest in newly acquired businesses
In February 2010, Kazzinc purchased the remaining 60% of Vasilkovskoye Gold (see note 22). At the date of acquisition, the previ-
ously owned 40% interest was revalued to its fair value and as a result, a net gain of $ 462 million was recognised. 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  123
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  123

Financial StatementS

4. income tAxeS

Income taxes consist of the following:

US $ million

Current income tax expense

Deferred income tax credit

total tax credit/(expense)

2011

– 417

681

264

2010

– 292

58

– 234

The effective Group tax rate is different from the statutory Swiss income tax rate applicable to the Company for the following 
reasons:

US $ million

2011

2010

income before income taxes and attribution

Less: share of income from Associates

Parent company’s and subsidiaries’ income before income tax and attribution

Income tax expense calculated at the Swiss income tax rate 

Effect of different tax rates from the standard Swiss income tax rate

Tax exempt income, net of non­deductible expenses and other permanent differences

Tax implications of the Restructuring and Listing, including deductions/losses triggered ¹

Effect of available tax losses not recognised, and other changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets 2

Effect of change in tax rate on deferred tax balances

Other

income credit/(expense)

4 004

– 1 972

2 032

– 312

– 102

14

687

– 19

– 2

– 2

264

4 340

– 1 829

2 511

– 401

– 78

254

0

135

– 145

1

– 234

1  As part of the Restructuring (see note 13), the potential amounts owing to the shareholder employees under the various active profit partici-
pation plans were settled and crystallised income tax deductions/losses in Switzerland and other countries that can be carried forward and 
applied against future taxable income. $ 381 million (2010: $ nil million) of deferred tax assets related to future deductible amounts and tax 
losses have not been brought to account.

2   In 2010, following the regular assessment and review of business plans related to Katanga Mining Limited, it was determined that a substantial 

portion of the previously unrecognised tax losses could be recognised.

The tax credit/(expense) relating to components of other comprehensive income/(loss) and share premium is as follows:

US $ million

Cash flow hedges ¹

Listing related expenses ²

income tax relating to components of other comprehensive loss and share premium

¹ Recognised in other comprehensive income.
² Recognised in share premium.

2011

2010

– 2

21

19

2

0

2

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Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Deferred taxes as at 31 December 2011 and 2010, are attributable to the items detailed in the table below:

US $ million

Deferred tax assets 1
Tax losses carried forward

Mark to market valuations

Other

total 

Deferred tax liabilities 1
Depreciation and amortisation

Mark to market valuations

Other

total

Deferred tax – net

Reconciliation of deferred tax – net

Opening balance

Recognised in income for the year

Recognised in other comprehensive loss and share premium

Business combination

closing balance

Notes

2011

2010

892

12

135

1 039

– 1 217

– 19

– 163

– 1 399

– 360

– 939

681

19

– 121

– 360

274

45

50

369

– 926

– 320

– 62

– 1 308

– 939

– 538

58

2

– 461

– 939

22

1  Asset and liability positions in the same category reflect the impact of tax assets and liabilities arising in local tax jurisdictions that cannot be 

offset against tax assets and liabilities arising in other tax jurisdictions.

Deferred tax assets are recognised for tax losses carried forward only to the extent that realisation of the related tax benefit is 
probable. As at 31 December 2011, $ 1,445 million (2010: $ 562 million) of deferred tax assets related to available loss carry forwards 
have been brought to account, of which $ 892 million (2010: $ 274 million) are disclosed as deferred tax assets with the remaining 
balance being offset against deferred tax liabilities arising in the same respective entity. $ 861 million (2010: $ 257 million) of the 
aforementioned net deferred tax assets arise in entities that have been loss making in 2011 and 2010. In evaluating whether it is 
probable that taxable profits will be earned in future accounting periods, all available evidence was considered. These forecasts 
are  consistent  with  those  prepared  and  used  internally  for  business  planning  and  impairment  testing  purposes.  Following  this 
evaluation, it was determined there would be sufficient taxable income generated to realise the benefit of the deferred tax assets. 
Available gross tax losses carried forward and deductible temporary differences, for which no deferred tax assets have been rec-
ognised in the consolidated financial statements are detailed below and will expire as follows:

US $ million

1 year

2 years

3 years

Thereafter

Unlimited usage

total

2011

2010

11

28

127

956

978

2 100

75

56

38

270

124

563

As at 31 December 2011, unremitted earnings of $ 18,573 million (2010: $ 12,255 million) have been retained by subsidiaries and 
associates for reinvestment. No provision is made for income taxes that would be payable upon the distribution of such earnings. 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  125
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  125

 
Financial StatementS

5. pRopeRty, plAnt And eqUipment

US $ million

Gross carrying amount:

1 January 2011

Business combination

Additions

Disposals

Other movements

31 December 2011

accumulated depreciation and impairment:

1 January 2011

Depreciation

Disposals

Impairments ¹

Other movements

31 December 2011

net book value 31 December 2011

Land
and
buildings

Plant
and 
equipment

Mineral and
petroleum
rights

Deferred
mining
costs

Notes

22

1 281

108

36

– 17

113

9 187

591

2 411

– 431

287

1 521

12 045

239

36 

– 6

32

22

323

1 198

2 556

710

– 263

15

– 21

 2 997

9 048

4 484

76

416

0

– 359

4 617

548

260

2

0

– 40

770

3 847

542

0

148

– 2

– 13

675

63

56

0

10

0

129

546

¹ Consists of impairments of specific assets recorded during the period which are immaterial both individually and in aggregate.

US $ million

Gross carrying amount:

1 January 2010

Business combination

Additions

Disposals

Reclassified from held for sale

Other movements

31 December 2010

accumulated depreciation and impairment:

1 January 2010

Depreciation

Disposals

Reclassified from held for sale

Impairments ¹

Other movements

31 December 2010

net book value 31 December 2010

Land
and
buildings

Plant
and 
equipment

Mineral and
petroleum
rights

Deferred
mining
costs

Notes

22

12

12

1 066

370

26

– 35

112

– 258

1 281

235

77

– 15

7

5

– 70

239

1 042

6 255

910

1 346

– 525

908

293

1 718

2 283

422

– 38

73

26

9 187

4 484

1 810

752

– 177

128

4

39

2 556

6 631

364

171

– 12

7

0

18

548

229

91

96

– 2

155

– 27

542

14

26

0

10

12

1

63

3 936 

479

Total

15 494

775

3 011

– 450

28

18 858

3 406

1 062

– 267

57

– 39

4 219

14 639

Total

9 268

3 654

1 890

– 600

1 248

34

15 494

2 423

1 026

– 204

152

21

– 12

3 406

12 088

¹ Consists of impairments of specific assets recorded during the period which are immaterial both individually and in aggregate.

Plant and equipment includes expenditure for construction in progress of $ 1,389 million (2010: $ 1,343 million) and a net book 
value of $ 317 million (2010: $ 64 million) of obligations recognised under finance lease agreements. Mineral and petroleum rights 
include expenditures for exploration and evaluation of $ 306 million (2010: $ 379 million). Depreciation expenses included in cost 
of goods sold are $ 1,049 million (2010: $ 893 million), in selling and administrative expenses $ 13 million (2010: $ 18 million) and in 
other expense – net Prodeco transaction related expenses $ nil million (2010: $ 115 million).

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overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

During 2011, $ 44 million (2010: $ 2 million) of interest was capitalised within property, plant and equipment. With the exception of 
project specific borrowings, the rate used to determine the amount of borrowing costs eligible for capitalisation was 4% (2010: 5%).

6. intAnGible ASSetS

US $ million

cost:

1 January 2011

Business combination

Reclassified from held for sale

31 December 2011

accumulated amortisation and impairment:

1 January 2011

Amortisation expense ¹

31 December 2011

net carrying amount

¹ Recognised in cost of goods sold.

Notes

Goodwill

Future ware-
housing fees

Other

Total

22

12, 22

0
36

133

169

0
0

0

169

0
0

32

32

0
3

3

29

0
13

0

13

0
1

1

12

0
49

165

214

0
4

4

210

Pacorini
Goodwill of $ 133 million and the future warehousing fees have been recognised as part of the acquisition of the Pacorini metals 
warehousing business, see note 22. 

The goodwill is attributable to synergies expected to arise in conjunction with the metals marketing division’s expected increased 
activities. In assessing whether goodwill has been impaired, the carrying amount of the cash generating unit was compared with 
its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount was determined by reference to the value in use which utilises pre­tax cash flow 
projections based on the approved financial budgets  for  5  years which includes factors, such as inventory levels, volumes and 
operating costs, discounted to present value at a rate of 10%. The cash flows beyond the 5 year period have been extrapolated 
using a declining growth rate of 10% per annum which is the projected long term reduction in average inventory levels for the 
warehousing business.

The future warehousing fees represent the expected income receivable on metal in the warehouses as at the date of acquisition 
when the metal is expected to be physically withdrawn from the warehouses in future periods based on the expected holding 
periods. Future warehousing fees are amortised over their useful economic lives of 5 years.

OceanConnect
Goodwill of $ 30 million has been recognised as part of the acquisition of certain assets constituting the business of OceanCon-
nect. The goodwill is attributable to synergies expected to arise from the enhancements to the energy products marketing divi-
sion’s existing business activities and improvements in its service offerings to its customers.

Other
Other intangible assets primarily consist of trademarks for agricultural products and are amortised over their estimated useful 
economic lives of 10 years.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  127
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  127

 
Financial StatementS

7. inveStmentS in ASSociAteS And otHeR inveStmentS

A list of the principal operating, finance and industrial subsidiaries and Associates and other investments is included in note 30. 

US $ million

Xstrata plc

Other listed Associates

listed associates

Non listed Associates

investments in associates

2011

2010

16 187

1 337

17 524

1 334

18 858

14 616

895

15 511

1 255

16 766

listed associates
As at 31 December 2011, the fair value of listed Associates using published price quotations was $ 16,157 million (2010: $ 24,511 mil-
lion). Glencore has completed a detailed assessment of the recoverable amount of investments where indicators of impairment 
were identified and concluded that the recoverable value supports the carrying value of these investments and that no impairment 
is required.

Optimum
In October 2011, Glencore acquired a 31.2% interest in Optimum Coal Holdings Limited (“Optimum”) for $ 382 million. Glencore 
has agreements to acquire an additional 28.5% interest in Optimum, which has subsequently closed on 26 March 2012 (see note 
22).

US $ million

available for sale

United Company Rusal (“UCR”)

Fair value through profit and loss

Volcan Compania Minera S.A.A.

Nyrstar N.V.

Century Aluminum Company cash settled equity swaps

Jurong Aromatics Corporation Pte Ltd

Other

Other investments

2011

2010

842

842

359

105

78

55

108

705

1 547

2 048

2 048

187

117

73

0

13

390

2 438

As at 31 December 2011, $ nil million (2010: $ 113 million) of Glencore’s investment in UCR was pledged as a guarantee against 
certain borrowings of UCR.

Summarised financial information in respect of Glencore’s Associates, reflecting 100% of the underlying Associate’s relevant 
 figures, are set out below. 

US $ million

Current assets

Non current assets

Current liabilities

Non current liabilities

net assets

Revenue

Net profit

2011

2010

12 129

69 884

– 8 919

12 214

65 033

– 9 309

– 24 620

– 23 197

48 474

39 940

6 194

44 741

48 116

4 941

The amount of corporate guarantees in favour of joint venture entities as at 31 December 2011 was $ 50 million (2010: $ nil million). 
Glencore’s share of joint venture entities’ capital commitments amounts to $ 301 million (2010: $ 831 million).

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Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

8. AdvAnceS And loAnS

US $ million

Loans to Parents

Loans to Associates

Other non current receivables and loans

total

Loans to Associates generally bear interest at applicable floating market rates plus a premium. 

Other non current receivables and loans comprise the following:

US $ million

counterparty

OAO Russneft 
Interest bearing loan at 9% per annum (see note below)

Atlas Petroleum International Limited (“Atlas”)
Interest bearing loans at LIBOR plus 3% 1

Secured marketing related financing arrangements 2

PT Bakrie & Brothers Tbk
Interest bearing secured loans at LIBOR plus 10%

Oteko Group
Interest bearing loan at LIBOR plus 6%

Other ³

total

2011

2010

0

840

3 301

4 141

72

426

3 332

3 830

2011

2010

2 211

2 082

246

365

80

86

313

477

301

200

25

247

3 301

3 332

1  Primarily relates to carried interest loans associated with the development of the Aseng oil project in Equatorial Guinea, where Atlas is one of the equity 
partners. The operator of the field and project is Noble Energy, based in Houston. The Aseng project commenced oil production in Q4 2011, and loans 
are being repaid from oil proceeds.

2  Various marketing related financing facilities, generally secured against certain assets and/or payable from the future sale of production of the 

counterparty. The weighted average interest rate of the loans is 10% and on average are to be repaid over a 3 year period.

³  $ 74 million (2010: $ nil million) relates to amounts owing in respect of future rehabilitation and restoration obligations.

Russneft loans
In December 2010, OAO Russneft (“Russneft”) completed a significant debt amendment and restatement with its major lenders, 
whereby Glencore’s previously existing facilities, including some amounts which had been advanced for conversion into Russneft 
equity, were consolidated into a single facility. The consolidated facility, with a principal amount of $ 2,080 million, bears interest at 
9% per annum, with 3% paid quarterly and the remaining 6% capitalised and payable along with the principal which is expected in 
monthly installments over a 3 year period commencing Q4 2017, but in any event, not before repayment of the debt owing to the 
other major lender. The facility is secured by a second ranked charge over certain of Russneft’s assets.

In 2010, Glencore accounted for this amendment and restatement as a substantial modification, which resulted in derecognition 
of all amounts carried under the previous facilities including principal, accrued interest and equity conversion advances and rec-
ognition, at fair value, of the consolidated facility. The transaction resulted in a gain (after taking into account the carrying value 
of the principal, net of allowance for doubtful accounts, and the accrued interest ($ 1,413 million) and equity conversion advances  
($ 285 million) of $ 382 million during the period ended 31 December 2010.

The 2010 loan amendment also constituted a loss event with respect to Glencore’s equity holdings in certain Russneft subsidiaries 
due to the increased leverage, amended repayment profile and the enhancement of prioritised security of the consolidated loans 
and, as a consequence, an impairment charge of $ 336 million was recognised against other investments during the period ended 
31 December 2010.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  129
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  129

 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial StatementS

9. inventoRieS

US $ million

Production inventories

Marketing inventories

total

2011

2010

3 150

13 979

17 129

2 805

14 588

17 393

Production inventories consist of materials, spare parts, work in process and finished goods held by the production entities. Mar-
keting inventories are commodities held by the marketing entities. Marketing inventories of $ 13,785 million (2010: $ 14,331 million)  
are carried at fair value less costs to sell.

Glencore has a number of dedicated financing facilities, which finance a portion of its marketing inventories. In each case, the 
inventory has not been derecognised as the Group retains the principal risks and rewards of ownership. The proceeds received 
are  recognised  as  either  current  borrowings,  commodities  sold  with  agreements  to  repurchase  or  trade  advances  from  buy-
ers,  depending  upon  their  funding  nature.  As  at  31  December  2011,  the  total  amount  of  inventory  secured  under  such  facili-
ties was $ 1,834 million (2010: $ 2,426 million). The proceeds received and recognised as current borrowings were $ 1,631 million 
(2010: $ 1,338 million), as commodities sold with agreements to repurchase $ 39 million (2010: $ 484 million) and as trade advances 
from buyers $ nil million (2010: $ 67 million).

10. AccoUntS ReceivAble

US $ million

Trade receivables 1

Trade advances and deposits 1

Associated companies 1

Other receivables

total

1  Collectively referred to as receivables.

2011

2010

15 903

3 022

643

2 327

21 895

12 663

4 297

494

1 540

18 994

The average credit period on sales of goods is 28 days (2010: 28 days). 

As at 31 December 2011, 8% (2010: 5%) of receivables were between 1–  60 days overdue, and 3% (2010: 2%) were greater than 
60  days overdue. Such receivables, although contractually past their due dates, are not considered impaired as there has not been 
a significant change in credit quality of the relevant counterparty, and the amounts are still considered recoverable taking into ac-
count customary payment patterns and in many cases, offsetting accounts payable balances. 

The movement in allowance for doubtful accounts is detailed in the table below:

US $ million

Opening balance 

Released during the year

Incurred during the year

Utilised during the year ¹

closing balance

2011

155

– 28

43

– 41

129

2010

302

– 16

58

– 189

155

¹ The amount utilised during 2010 primarily comprises the Russneft loan amendment and restatement (see note 8).

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130  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

 
 
Financial StatementS
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Glencore has a number of dedicated financing facilities, which finance a portion of its receivables. In each case, the receivables have 
not been derecognised, as the Group retains the principal risks and rewards of ownership. The proceeds received are recognised 
as current borrowings (see note 17). As at 31 December 2011, the total amount of trade receivables secured was $ 2,934 million 
(2010: $ 2,349 million) and proceeds received and classified as current borrowings amounted to $ 2,265 million (2010: $ 1,950 million).

11. cASH And cASH eqUivAlentS

US $ million

Bank and cash on hand

Deposits and treasury bills

total

2011

2010

981

324

1 305

1 090

373

1 463

As at 31 December 2011, $ 80 million (2010: $ 23 million) was restricted. $ 47 million has been placed in escrow for the pending 
acquisition of Rosh Pinah (see note 26).

12. ASSetS And liAbilitieS Held foR SAle

In March 2011, the plan to merge the Pacorini metals warehousing business with a third party was abandoned and the net assets 
(assets of $ 280 million and liabilities of $ 45 million) previously classified as held for sale in 2010 were reclassified to the respective 
line items in the statement of financial position at depreciated cost as detailed below:

US $ million

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets

Inventory

Accounts receivable

Cash and cash equivalents

total assets

Non current borrowings

Accounts payable

Income tax payable

Current borrowings

total liabilities

Total

4

165

13

79

19

280

– 1

– 31

– 4

– 9

– 45

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  131
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  131

Financial StatementS

13. SHARe cApitAl And ReSeRveS

Number of 
shares 
(thousand)

Share capital 
(US $ million)

Share premium
(US $ million)

authorised:

31 December 2011 Ordinary shares with a par value of $ 0.01 each

50 000 000

–

issued and fully paid up:

1 January 2010 – class B shares

Class B shares redeemed pursuant to the Restructuring

Ordinary shares issued pursuant to the Restructuring

1 January 2010 (restated) – Ordinary shares

31 December 2010 (restated) – Ordinary shares

Ordinary shares issued in exchange for HPPS and PPS profit participation obligations

Ordinary shares issued in exchange for LTS and LTPPS profit participation obligations

Ordinary shares issued at Listing (“primary issuance”)

Share issue costs associated with the primary issuance

Tax on Listing related expenses

Dividends paid

31 December 2011 – Ordinary shares

150

– 150

3 716 495

3 716 495

3 716 495

1 617 268

666 237

922 714

– 

– 

– 

6 922 714

46

– 46

37

37 

37 

16

7 

9

–

–

– 

69

–

0

0

0

0

0

13 821

5 694

7 887

– 280

21

– 346

26 797

Restructuring
Prior  to  the  Listing,  Glencore’s  articles  of  incorporation  authorised  the  issuance  of  non  voting  profit  participation  certificates 
(“PPC”) with no nominal value to its employees enabling them to participate in four profit sharing arrangements: Hybrid Profit 
Participation Shareholders (HPPS), Ordinary Profit Participation Shareholders (PPS), Glencore L.T.E. Profit Participation Sharehold-
ers (LTS) and Long Term Profit Participation Shareholders (LTPPS). The profit sharing arrangements entitled the employees to a 
portion of Glencore shareholders’ funds accumulated during the period that such employees held the PPCs. The PPCs attributed 
Glencore International AG’s consolidated net income pro rata based on the 150,000 Class B shares issued as at 31 December 2010. 

Immediately prior to the Listing, Glencore implemented a Restructuring whereby amounts owing to the then shareholder employ-
ees under the various active profit participation plans were settled in exchange for new ordinary shares and the ultimate ownership 
interests in Glencore International AG were assumed via Glencore International plc. The accounting outcome of these transactions 
is outlined below:

Settlement of the profit participation plans
The accounting for the settlement of the four profit participation plans was similar, whereby the outstanding balances under each
plan prior to Listing were exchanged for an equivalent number of ordinary shares at the Listing price of 530 pence ($ 8.56) per 
share. The difference between the nominal and fair value of the new ordinary shares issued was recognised as a share premium.

Reorganisation of the ultimate parent company 
Following the settlement of the profit participation plans described above, Glencore International plc replaced Glencore Holding 
AG as the ultimate parent company and Glencore International AG became a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore International 
plc, the entity listed on the London and Hong Kong stock exchanges.

listing
On 24 May 2011, Glencore International plc issued 922,713,511 ordinary shares which comprised 891,463,511 shares to institutional
investors (the “International Offer”) at a price of 530 pence ($ 8.56) per share on the London Stock Exchange, and 31,250,000 shares
to  professional  and  retail  investors  in  Hong  Kong  (the  “Hong  Kong  Offer”)  at  a  price  of  HK$ 66.53  ($ 8.56)  per  ordinary  share. 
The gross proceeds raised were $ 7,896 million and total transaction (Restructuring and Listing) and related expenses incurred 
were $ 566 million. $ 280 million of the transaction costs were attributable to the issue of new (primary) equity and have been de-
ducted against share premium while $ 286 million were attributable to stamp duty and other expenses associated with the above 
noted Restructuring as well as an allocation of transaction costs that jointly related to the issuing of the new (primary) equity and 
the listing of the Company and as such have been charged to income during the year (see note 3). Joint transaction costs were 
allocated based on the ratio of new shares issued, in relation to total shares outstanding.

132  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
132  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Financial StatementS
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Reserves

US $ million

at 1 January 2010

Ordinary shares issued pursuant to the Restructuring

at 1 January 2010 (restated)

Exchange gain on translation of foreign operations

Loss on cash flow hedges, net of tax

Gain on available for sale financial instruments

Cash flow hedges transferred to the statement of 
income, net of tax

Change in ownership interest in subsidiaries

Equity portion of Convertible bonds

at 31 December 2010 (restated)

at 1 January 2011

Exchange loss on translation of foreign operations

Loss on cash flow hedges, net of tax

Loss on available for sale financial instruments

Cash flow hedges transferred to the statement of 
income, net of tax

Change in ownership interest in subsidiaries

Transla-
tion 
adjust-
ment

Equity 
portion 
of Con-
vertible 
bonds

Cash 
flow 
hedge 
reserve

Net  
unre-
alised 
gain/ 
(loss)

Net 
ownership 
changes in  
subsidiaries

Notes

Other 
reserves 

– 7

0

– 7

8

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

– 53

0

0

0

0

23

7

22

17

23

7

22

77

0

77

0

0

0

0

0

12

89

– 89

0

– 89

0

– 180

0

6

0

0

– 263

89

– 263

0

0

0

0

0

0

– 17

0

6

0

0

0

0

0

0

25

0

0

0

25

25

0

0

– 1 206

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

– 134

0

– 134

– 134

0

0

0

0

– 98

– 232

Total

– 18

9

– 9

8

– 180

25

6

– 134

12

– 272

– 272

– 53

– 17

– 1 206

6

– 98

1

9

10

0

0

0

0

0

0

10

10

0

0

0

0

0

at 31 December 2011

– 52

89

– 274

– 1 181

14. eARninGS peR SHARe

US $ million

Notes

Profit attributable to equity holders for basic earnings per share

Interest in respect of Convertible bonds

Profit attributable to equity holders for diluted earnings per share

10

– 1 640

2011

4 048

135

4 183

2010

1 291

130

1 421

Weighted average number of shares for the purposes of basic earnings per share (thousand)

5 657 794

3 716 495

effect of dilution:

Equity settled share-based payments

Convertible bonds

Weighted average number of shares for the purposes of diluted earnings per share (thousand)

Basic earnings per share (US $)

Diluted earnings per share (US $)

16

17 

22 790

406 738

6 087 322

0

238 061

3 954 556

0.72

0.69

0.35

0.35

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  133
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  133

Financial StatementS

15. dividendS

US $ million

Paid during the year:
Final dividend for 2010 – $ nil per Class B share (2009 – $ 13.33 per Class B share)
Interim dividend for 2011 – $ 0.05 per ordinary share (2010 – $ nil per Class B share)

total

Proposed final dividend for 2011 – $ 0.10 per ordinary share (2010 – $ 13.33 per Class B share)

2011

2010

0

 346

 346

 692

 2 

0

 2

 2

The proposed final dividend is subject to approval by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting and has not been included 
as  a  liability  in  these  financial  statements.  Dividends  declared  in  respect  of  the  year  ended  31  December  2011  will  be  paid  on 
1 June 2012. The 2011 interim dividend was paid on 30 September 2011.

16. SHARe-bASed pAymentS

2011 Phantom equity awards
In April and May 2011 in connection with the Listing, phantom equity awards were made to certain employees in lieu of interests 
in Glencore’s existing equity ownership schemes. These equity awards will vest on or before 31 December 2013, subject to the 
continued employment of the award holder. Phantom equity awards may be satisfied in shares by the issue of new ordinary shares, 
by the transfer of ordinary shares held in treasury or by the transfer of ordinary shares purchased in the market (in each case with a 
market value equal to the value of the award at vesting, including dividends paid between Listing and vesting), or in cash. Glencore 
currently intends to settle these awards through the issuance of shares. Based on the Listing offer price, the aggregate number 
of ordinary shares underlying the awards is 24,024,765. The fair value of the awards at the issue date was $ 8.56 per award for an 
aggregate fair value of $ 206 million determined by reference to the Listing price at the grant date. As at year end, the number 
of shares underlying the awards was 22,789,924. The total expense recognised in the period was $ 58 million (2010: $ nil million).

134  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
134  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Financial StatementS
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17. boRRowinGS

US $ million

non current borrowings

144A Notes

Xstrata secured bank loans

Convertible bonds

Eurobonds

Sterling bonds

Swiss Franc bonds

Perpetual notes

Ordinary profit participation certificates

Committed syndicated revolving credit facility

Finance lease obligations

Other bank loans 

total non current borrowings

current borrowings

Committed syndicated revolving credit facility

Committed secured inventory/receivables facility

Committed secured receivables facilities

Bilateral uncommitted secured inventory facilities

U.S. commercial paper

Xstrata secured bank loans

Eurobonds

Perpetual notes

Ordinary profit participation certificates

Finance lease obligations
Other bank loans 1

total current borrowings

Notes

2011

2010

947

2 688

2 152

3 612

996

882

347

750

5 907

278

1 285

19 844

0

1 700

1 181

1 015

512

0

0

0

533

39

3 205

8 185

946

0

2 132

3 725

999

639

735

1 059

6 744

63

1 209

18 251

515

1 700

700

888

310

2 292

765

292

796

4

3 619

11 881

26

9/10

10

9

26

¹  Comprises various uncommitted bilateral bank credit facilities and other financings.

144a notes
$ 950 million 6% coupon Notes due 2014. The Notes are recognised at amortised cost at an effective interest rate of 6.15% per 
annum. 

Xstrata secured bank loans
In June 2011, Glencore refinanced the $ 2.8 billion facilities ($ 2.3 billion drawn) with new 2 year $ 2.7 billion equivalent facilities. 
The facilities have been accounted for as secured bank loans which bear interest at a rate of U.S. $ LIBOR plus 95 basis points 
per annum. As at 31 December 2011, shares representing $ 5,343 million (2010: $ 4,199 million) of the carrying value of Glencore’s 
 investment in Xstrata were pledged as security.

convertible bonds
$ 2,300 million 5% coupon convertible bonds due December 2014. The bonds are convertible at the option of the investors into 
406,737,932 ordinary shares of Glencore International plc. The bonds consist of a liability component and an equity component. 
The  fair  values  of  the  liability  component  ($ 2,211  million)  and  the  equity  component  ($ 89  million)  were  determined,  using  the 
residual method, at issuance of the bonds. The liability component is measured at amortised cost at an effective interest rate of 
5.90% per annum. 

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  135
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  135

 
Financial StatementS

euro, Sterling and Swiss Franc bonds
The Group has issued bonds denominated in Euro, Sterling and Swiss Franc where upon issuance, the principal amounts and the 
future interest payments were swapped (using instruments which qualify as cash flow hedges) into their U.S. Dollar equivalent. The 
details of amounts issued and outstanding are as follows:

US $ million

Euro 600 million 5.375% coupon bonds

Euro 850 million 5.250% coupon bonds

Euro 750 million 7.125% coupon bonds

Euro 1 250 million 5.250% coupon bonds

eurobonds

GBP 650 million 6.50% coupon bonds

CHF 825 million 3.625% coupon bonds

total

Maturity

Initial US $ 
equivalent

US $ fixed 
interest 
rate in %

2011

2010

Sep 2011

Oct 2013

April 2015

March 2017

Feb 2019

April 2016

–

1 078

1 200

1 708

3 986

1 266

828

6 080

–

6.60

6.86

6.07

6.58

4.87

0

1 045

944

1 623

3 612

996

882

5 490

765

1 080

968

1 677

4 490

999

639

6 128

In January 2011, Glencore issued additional CHF 225 million ($ 235 million) 3.625% interest bearing bonds due April 2016.

Perpetual notes
During 2011, Glencore redeemed $ 700 million of the 8% perpetual notes at par, leaving a total of $ 350 million of 7.5% Perpetual 
bonds outstanding.

Ordinary profit participation certificates
Profit participation certificates bear interest at 6 month U.S. $ LIBOR, are repayable over 5 years and in the event of certain trig-
gering events, which include any breach of a financial covenant, would be subordinated to unsecured lenders.

committed revolving credit facilities
In May 2011, Glencore replaced the previous 364 day $ 1,375 million and $ 515 million committed revolving credit facilities with 
two new 364 day committed revolving credit facilities for $ 2,925 million and $ 610 million respectively, both with a one year term 
extension option at Glencore’s discretion. In addition, Glencore extended the final maturity of $ 8,340 million of the $ 8,370 million 
medium term revolver for a further year to May 2014. In aggregate, the new facilities represent an overall increase in committed 
available liquidity of $ 1,645 million. Funds drawn under the facilities bear interest at U.S. $ LIBOR plus a margin ranging from 110 
to 175 basis points per annum.

committed secured inventory/receivables facility
In  November  2011,  Glencore  renewed  the  364  day  committed  $ 1.7  billion  secured  inventory  and  receivables  borrowing  base 
facility under the same terms. Under the program, Glencore has the option to pledge up to $ 750 million of eligible base metals 
inventory or up to $ 1.7 billion of eligible receivables. Funds drawn under the facility bear interest at U.S. $ LIBOR plus 110 basis 
points per annum.

committed secured receivables facilities
Includes a 364 day $ 200 million committed secured receivables financing program due February 2012 which, has been extended 
to August 2012, and a six month $ 750 million multi­currency program due June 2012. Funds drawn under the facilities bear interest 
at U.S. $ LIBOR or, in relation to any loan in Euro, EURIBOR, plus a margin ranging from 105 to 115 basis points per annum.

U.S. commercial paper
Glencore has in place a stand alone U.S. commercial paper program for $ 1,000 million rated A2 and P2 respectively by Standard 
& Poor’s and Moody’s rating agencies. The notes issued under this program carry interest at floating market rates and mature not 
more than 270 days from the date of issue.

136  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
136  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Financial StatementS
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18. defeRRed income

During 2006, Glencore entered into an agreement to deliver a fixed quantity of silver concentrate, a by­product from its mining 
operations, for a period of 15 years at a fixed price for which Glencore received an upfront payment of $ 285 million. The outstand-
ing balance represents the remaining non current portion of the upfront payment. The upfront payment is released to revenue at a 
rate consistent with the implied forward price curve at the time of the transaction and the actual quantities delivered.

19. pRoviSionS

non current

US $ million

1 January 2010

Provision utilised in the year

Accretion in the year

Provisions assumed in business combination

Additional provision in the year

31 December 2010

1 January 2011

Provision utilised in the year

Accretion in the year

Provisions assumed in business combination

Additional provision in the year

31 December 2011

Post
retirement 
benefits ¹

Employee
entitlement

Rehabilitation
costs 

Other ²

Total

59

– 4

0

4

1

60

60

– 1

0

0

2

61

85

– 2

0

0

15

98

98

– 17

0

0

35

116

236

– 5

22

3

123

379

379

– 14

24

43

142

574

165

– 22

0

0

39

182

182

– 56

0

14

62

202

545

– 33

22

7

178

719

719

– 88

24

57

241

953

¹  See note 20.
2  Other  includes  provisions  in  respect  of  mine  concession  obligations  of  $ 52  million  (2010:  $ 54  million),  construction  related  contractual  provi-
sions of $ 27 million (2010: $ 29 million), export levies of $ 45 million (2010: $ 42 million) and deferred purchase consideration of $ 33 million 
(2010: $ 21 million).

employee entitlement
The employee entitlement provision represents the value of state governed employee entitlements due to employees upon their 
termination of employment. The associated expenditure will occur in a pattern consistent with when employees choose to exercise 
their entitlements.

Rehabilitation costs
Rehabilitation provision represents the accrued cost required to provide adequate restoration and rehabilitation upon the comple-
tion of extraction activities. These amounts will be settled when rehabilitation is undertaken, generally at the end of a project’s life, 
which ranges from 2 to 50 years. In South Africa, the Group makes contributions to rehabilitation trusts to meet some of the costs 
of rehabilitation liabilities.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  137
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  137

 
 
Financial StatementS

current

US $ million

1 January 2010

Provision utilised in the year

Additional provision in the year

31 December 2010

1 January 2011

Provision utilised in the year

Additional provision in the year

31 December 2011

Onerous con-
tracts

Demurrage 
and related 
claims

Other 

Total

1

0

92

93

93

– 89

0

4

51

– 14

24

61

61

– 10

23

74

23

– 6

1

18

18

– 8

10

20

75

– 20

117

172

172

– 107

33

98

20. peRSonnel coStS And employee benefitS

Total personnel costs, which includes salaries, wages, social security, other personnel costs and share­based payments but excludes 
attribution to profit participation shareholders, incurred for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, were $ 1,723 million 
and $ 1,677 million, respectively. Personnel costs related to consolidated industrial subsidiaries of $ 1,203 million (2010: $ 885 mil-
lion) are included in cost of goods sold. Other personnel costs are included in selling and administrative expenses and share­
based payments are included in other expense.

The Company and certain subsidiaries sponsor various pension schemes in accordance with local regulations and practices. Eli-
gibility for participation in the various plans is either based on completion of a specified period of continuous service, or date of 
hire. The plans provide for certain employee and employer contributions, ranging from 5% to 16% of annual salaries, depending on 
the employee’s years of service. Among these schemes are defined contribution plans as well as defined benefit plans. The main 
locations with defined benefit plans are Switzerland, the UK and the US.

Defined contribution plans
Glencore’s contributions under these plans amounted to $ 21 million in 2011 and $ 11 million in 2010.

Defined benefit plans
The amounts recognised in the statement of income are as follows:

US $ million

Current service cost

Interest cost

Expected return on plan assets

Net actuarial losses recognised in the year

Past service cost

Exchange differences

total 

The actual return on plan assets amounted to a gain of $ 4 million (2010: gain of $ 14 million).

The amounts recognised in the statement of financial position are determined as follows:

US $ million

Present value of defined benefit obligations

Less: fair value of plan assets

Unrecognised actuarial losses

Restrictions of assets recognised

liability in the statement of financial position

138  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
138  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Notes

19

2011

2010

19

19

– 15

13

2

– 2

36

2011

513

– 284

– 164

– 4

61

14

16

– 11

5

1

0

25

2010

422

– 267

– 91

– 4

60

 
Financial StatementS
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Movement in the present value of the defined benefit obligation is as follows:

US $ million

Opening defined benefit obligation

Current service cost

Interest cost

Past service cost

Benefits paid

Actuarial loss

Exchange differences on foreign plans

Other movements

closing defined benefit obligation

Movement in the present value of the plan assets is as  follows:

US $ million

Opening fair value of plan assets

Expected return on plan assets

Contribution from the employer

Actuarial loss

Exchange differences on foreign plans

Other movements

closing fair value of plan assets

The plan assets consist of the following:

US $ million

Cash and short term investments

Fixed income

Equities

Other

total

2011

2010

422

19

19

2

– 26

67

 1

9

513

363

14

16

1

– 27

17

– 5

43

422

2011

2010

267

15

26

– 20

 3

– 7

284

232

11

27

– 5

– 5

7

267

2011

2010

10

109

120

45

284

5 

115

96

51

267

The overall expected rate of return is a weighted average of the expected returns of the various categories of plan assets held. 
Glencore’s assessment of the expected returns is based on historical return trends and analysts’ predictions of the market for the 
asset class in the next twelve months. 

The principal actuarial assumptions used were as follows:

Discount rate

Expected return on plan assets

Future salary increases

Future pension increases

2011

2010

3 –7%

3 –  8%

2 – 5%

3  –  4%

3  –  6%

3  –  8%

2 –  6%

3  –  4%

Mortality  assumptions  are  based  on  the  latest  available  standard  mortality  tables  for  the  individual  countries  concerned. 
These tables imply expected future lifetimes (in years) for employees aged 65 as at the 31 December 2011 of 18 to 24 for males  
(2010: 18 to 24) and 20 to 25 (2010: 22 to 25) for females. The assumptions for each country are reviewed each year and are adjusted 
where necessary to reflect changes in fund experience and actuarial recommendations.

The Group expects to make a contribution of $ 26 million (2010: $ 27 million) to the defined benefit plans during the next financial 
year.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  139
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  139

Financial StatementS

Summary historical information:

US $ million

2009

2008

2007

21. AccoUntS pAyAble

US $ million

Trade payables

Trade advances from buyers

Associated companies

Other payables and accrued liabilities

total

Present value of 
defined benefit 
obligation

Fair value of 
plan assets

363

324

370

232

190

260

2011

2010

14 523

852

1 511

1 274

18 160

12 278

634

1 788

1 273

15 973

22. AcqUiSition And diSpoSAl of SUbSidiARieS

2011
Acquisitions
During 2011, Glencore acquired interests in various businesses, the most significant being Umcebo Mining (Pty) Ltd (“Umcebo”). 
The net cash used in the acquisition of subsidiaries and the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of 
acquisition are detailed below:

US $ million

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets

Investments in Associates

Loans and advances ²

Inventories

Accounts receivable ²

Cash and cash equivalents

Non controlling interest

Non current borrowings

Deferred tax liabilities

Provisions

Accounts payable

Current borrowings

total fair value of net assets acquired

Goodwill arising on acquisition ³ 

Less: cash and cash equivalents acquired

Less: contingent consideration 4

net cash used in acquisition of subsidiaries

Umcebo 1

Other 

555

0

10

30

10

34

4

– 208

– 57

– 118

– 53

– 84

0

123

0

4

0

119

220

13

0

6

13

19

14

– 7

– 12

– 3

– 4

 – 28

– 7

224

36

14

15

231

Total

775

13

10

36

23

53

18

– 215

– 69

– 121

– 57

– 112

– 7

347

36

 18

15

350

1  The fair values are provisional due to the complexity of the valuation process. The finalisation of the fair value of the assets and liabilities 

 acquired will be completed within 12 months of the acquisition.

2  Represents the gross contractual amount for loans and advances and accounts receivable.
3   None of the goodwill arising on acquisition is deductible for tax purposes.
4  The contingent consideration related to the purchase of assets of OceanConnect ranges between $ 5 million and $ 15 million based on future 

earnings of the business acquired. 

140  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
140  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

 
Financial StatementS
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Umcebo
In December 2011, in order to increase its South African coal market presence, Glencore completed the acquisition of a 43.7% stake 
in Umcebo, an unlisted South African coal mining company, for $ 123 million cash consideration. Although Glencore holds less than 
50% of the voting rights, it has the ability to exercise control over Umcebo as the shareholder agreements allow Glencore to control 
the Board of Directors through the ability to appoint half of the Directors and the CEO, who has the casting vote in respect of the 
financial and operating policies of Umcebo. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination with the non controlling 
interest being measured at its percentage of net assets acquired. 

If the acquisition had taken place effective 1 January 2011, the operation would have contributed revenue of $ 309 million and a loss 
before attribution of $ 3 million. Glencore’s share of income and revenue from the date of these acquisitions amounted to $ nil mil-
lion due to the fact that the acquisition was completed in late December 2011.

Other
Other comprises primarily acquisitions of 100% interest of crushing plants in the Czech Republic and 90.7% interest of crushing 
plants in Poland for cash consideration of $ 82 million and $ 71 million, respectively, a 100% interest in Sable Zinc Kabwe Limited, 
a Zambian metal­processing plant for cash consideration of $ 29 million and certain assets related to the business of OceanCon-
nect for total consideration of $ 30 million. The goodwill recognised in connection with these acquisitions principally related to 
OceanConnect.

If these acquisitions had taken place effective 1 January 2011, the operations would have contributed revenue of $ 104 million and 
a loss before attribution of $ 19 million. Glencore’s share of revenue and loss from the date of these acquisitions amounted to 
$ 1,321 million and $ 9 million, respectively.

Acquisition subsequent to the year ended 31 December 2011
On 14 March 2012, Glencore received the applicable regulatory approvals to complete the acquisition of an additional 28.5% 
interest in Optimum for cash consideration of $ 358 million as originally agreed, based on the foreign exchange rates prevailing  
on 26 March 2011. This increases Glencore’s total ownership interest to 59.7% and provides Glencore with the ability to exercise 
control over Optimum through control over 50% of the voting rights. As a result, beginning on the acquisition date, Glencore 
will  consolidate  Optimum  which  reported  total  assets  and  liabilities  of  $  1,437  million  and  $  564  million,  respectively  as  at  
31 December 2011 and will recognise a loss of $ 19 million resulting from the fair value adjustment of the equity interest held by 
Glencore at the date of acquisition. The transaction closed on 26 March 2012.

Optimum is a South African coal mining company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The transaction further increases 
Glencore’s  presence  in  the  South  African  coal  market.  Due  to  the  timing  of  the  transaction,  management  is  in  the  preliminary 
stages of determining values of the assets and liabilities acquired and the associated accounting for the acquisition. Accordingly, 
certain disclosures relating to the business combination such as the fair value of net assets acquired have not been presented.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  141
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  141

Financial StatementS

2010
Acquisitions
During 2010, Glencore acquired controlling interests in various businesses, the most significant being Vasilkovskoye Gold, Chemoil 
Energy Limited (Chemoil) and Pacorini. The net cash used in the acquisition of subsidiaries and the fair value of the assets acquired 
and liabilities assumed at the date of acquisition are detailed below:

US $ million

Vasilkovskoye

Chemoil

Pacorini 

Other  1

Total

Property, plant and equipment

Investments in Associates

Inventories

Accounts receivable

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets held for sale

Non controlling interest

Non current borrowings

Deferred tax liabilities

Accounts payable

Current borrowings

Liabilities held for sale

total fair value of net assets acquired

Less: amounts previously recognised through investments and loans

Less: cash and cash equivalents acquired

net cash used in acquisition of subsidiaries

2 855

0

44

103

13

0

– 947

– 14

– 365

– 81

0

0

1 608

1 403

13

192

519

69

317

703

108

0

– 230

– 166

– 96

– 493

– 494

0

237

0

108

129

0

0

0

0

0

277

0

0

0

0

0

– 68

209

0

0

209

280

3 654

0

93

76

11

0

– 55

– 61

0

– 212

– 10

– 0

122

17

11

94

69

454

882

132

277

– 1 232

– 241

– 461

– 786

– 504

– 68

2 176

1 420

132

624

1  Includes the acquisitions of a 76% interest in Rio Vermelho, a 60% interest in Biopetrol Industries AG and a 100% interest in Minera Altos de 

Punitaqui.

Vasilkovskoye
In February 2010, Kazzinc purchased the remaining 60% of Vasilkovskoye Gold, a gold development company, that it did not pre-
viously own for $ 1,140 million to enhance its existing gold production base. The acquisition was funded through the payment of 
$ 205 million and the issuance of new Kazzinc shares which resulted in Glencore’s ultimate ownership in Kazzinc being diluted from 
69% to 50.7% (without a loss of control). The dilution resulted in a loss of $ 99 million which has been recognised in reserves (see 
note 13). Prior to acquisition, Kazzinc owned a 40% interest in Vasilkovskoye Gold which, at the date of acquisition, was revalued 
to its fair value of $ 760 million and as a result, a net gain of $ 462 million was recognised in other income (see note 3). The acquisi-
tion was accounted for as a business combination with the non controlling interest being measured at its percentage of net assets 
acquired determined by using discounted cash flow techniques with a discount rate of 8.5%.

For the period post acquisition, Vasilkovskoye Gold contributed revenue of $ 130 million and a loss before attribution of $ 15 mil-
lion. If the acquisition had taken place effective 1 January 2010, the operation would have contributed revenue of $ 131 million and 
a loss before attribution of $ 22 million.

Chemoil
In  April  2010,  Glencore  completed  the  acquisition  of  a  51.5%  stake  in  Chemoil,  a  Singapore  listed  fuel  oil  storage  and  supply 
company, for $ 237 million cash consideration to strengthen its global storage and marketing capabilities. The acquisition was ac-
counted for as a business combination with the non controlling interest being measured at its percentage of net assets acquired.

For the period post acquisition, Chemoil contributed revenue of $ 6,089 million and income before attribution of $ 4 million. If the 
acquisition had taken place effective 1 January 2010, the operation would have contributed revenue of $ 7,175 million and a loss 
before attribution of $ 3 million.

Pacorini
In September 2010, Glencore acquired the metals warehousing division of the Pacorini Group for $ 209 million in cash to further 
enhance its presence in the metals warehousing business. As contemplated at the time of the acquisition, Glencore commenced a 
review of the strategic alternatives to strengthen Glencore’s participation in the metals warehousing business, which was expected 
to result in a merger involving the acquired business and a third party. As a result, the assets and liabilities were classified as held 
for sale in 2010.

142  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
142  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

 
Financial StatementS
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In March 2011 the plan to merge the Pacorini business with a third party was abandoned due to a breakdown in final negotiations 
and the net assets previously classified as held for sale in 2010 were reclassified to the respective line items in the statement of 
financial position at depreciated cost (see note 12). Subsequent to this reclassification, the acquisition accounting was finalised as 
follows:

US $ million

Property, plant and equipment

Intangible assets

Accounts receivable

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets held for sale ¹

Non current borrowings

Deferred tax liabilities ²

Accounts payable

Current borrowings

Liabilities held for sale ¹

total fair value of net assets acquired

Goodwill arising on acquisition ²

Less: cash and cash equivalents acquired

net cash used in acquisition of subsidiaries

Provisional fair 
value as previ-
ously reported

Adjustments 

Fair value at 
acquisition

0

0

0

0

277

0

0

0

0

– 68

209

0

21

188

3

32

96

21

– 277

– 1

– 8

– 62

– 5

68

– 133

133

0

0

3

32

96

21

0

– 1

– 8

– 62

– 5

0

76

133

 21

188

¹  Assets and liabilities held for sale have been reclassified to the respective line items in the statement of financial position.
²  $ 37 million of goodwill is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. 

Disposals
In 2011 and 2010, there were no material disposals of subsidiaries.

23. finAnciAl And cApitAl RiSk mAnAGement

Financial risks arising in the normal course of business from Glencore’s operations comprise market risk (including commodity 
price risk, interest rate risk and currency risk), credit risk (including performance risk) and liquidity risk. It is Glencore’s policy and 
practice  to identify  and, where appropriate  and practical, actively manage such risks to support its objectives in managing its 
capital and future financial security and flexibility. Glencore’s overall risk management program focuses on the unpredictability of 
financial markets and seeks to protect its financial security and flexibility by using derivative financial instruments where possible 
to substantially hedge these financial risks. Glencore’s finance and risk professionals, working in coordination with the commodity 
departments,  monitor,  manage  and  report  regularly  to  senior  management,  the  Audit  Committee  and  ultimately  the  Board  of 
 Directors on the approach and effectiveness in managing financial risks along with the financial exposures facing the Group.

Glencore’s objectives in managing its capital (see table below) include preserving its overall financial health and strength for the 
benefit  of  all  stakeholders,  maintaining  an  optimal  capital  structure  in  order  to  provide  a  high  degree  of  financial  flexibility  at 
an attractive cost of capital and safeguarding its ability to continue as a going concern, while generating sustainable long term 
profitability. Paramount in meeting these objectives is Glencore’s policy to maintain an investment grade rating status. Following 
the Listing, both S&P (via an upgrade) and Moody’s (via stabilisation of outlook) improved their credit ratings on Glencore to BBB 
(stable) and Baa2 (stable) respectively. Following the Xstrata merger and Viterra acquisition announcements, Glencore’s current 
credit ratings are Baa2 (review with direction uncertain) from Moody’s and BBB (watch positive) from S&P.

US $ million

Total net assets attributable to profit participation shareholders,  
non controlling interests and equity holders

Less: non controlling interests

Glencore shareholders’ funds

2011

2010

32 335

3 070

29 265

22 507

2 894

19 613

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  143
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  143

 
Financial StatementS

commodity price risk
Glencore is exposed to price movements for the inventory it holds and the products it produces which are not held to meet priced 
forward contract obligations and forward priced purchase or sale contracts. Glencore manages a significant portion of this expo-
sure through futures and options transactions on worldwide commodity exchanges or in over the counter (OTC) markets, to the 
extent available. Commodity price risk management activities are considered an integral part of Glencore’s physical commodity 
marketing activities and the related assets and liabilities are included in other financial assets from and other financial liabilities to 
derivative counterparties, including clearing brokers and exchanges. Whilst it is Glencore’s policy to substantially hedge its com-
modity price risks, there remains the possibility that the hedging instruments chosen may not always provide effective mitigation 
of the underlying price risk. The hedging instruments available to the marketing businesses may differ in specific characteristics to 
the risk exposure to be hedged, resulting in an ongoing and unavoidable basis risk exposure. Residual basis risk exposures repre-
sent a key focus point for Glencore’s commodity department teams who actively engage in the management of such.

Glencore  has  entered  into  futures  transactions  to  hedge  the  price  risk  of  specific  future  operating  expenditures.  These  trans­
actions were identified as cash flow hedges. The fair value of these derivatives is as follows:

US $ million

Commodity futures – 2011

Commodity futures – 2010

Notional amounts

Recognised fair values

Buy

0

0

Sell

181

187

Assets

Liabilities

Maturity

0

0

101

75

2012

2012

Value at risk
One of the tools used by Glencore to monitor and limit its primary market risk exposure, namely commodity price risk related to its 
physical marketing activities, is the use of a value at risk (VaR) computation. VaR is a risk measurement technique which estimates 
the potential loss that could occur on risk positions as a result of movements in risk factors over a specified time horizon, given a 
specific level of confidence. The VaR methodology is a statistically defined, probability based approach that takes into account 
market volatil ities, as well as risk diversification by recognising offsetting positions and correlations between commodities and 
markets. In this way, risks can be measured consistently across all markets and commodities and risk measures can be aggregated 
to derive a single risk value. Glencore’s Board has set a consolidated VaR limit (1 day 95%) of $ 100 million representing less than 
0.5% of Glencore shareholders’ funds.

Glencore uses a VaR approach based on Monte Carlo simulations and is computed at a 95% confidence level with a weighted data 
history using a combination of a one day and one week time horizon.

Position sheets are regularly distributed and monitored and weekly Monte Carlo simulations are applied to the various business groups’ 
net marketing positions to determine potential future exposures. As at 31 December 2011, Glencore’s 95%, one day market risk VaR was 
$ 28 million (2010: $ 58 million). Average market risk VaR (1 day 95%) during 2011 was $ 39 million compared to $ 43 million during 2010.

VaR does not purport to represent actual gains or losses in fair value on earnings to be incurred by Glencore, nor does Glencore 
claim that these VaR results are indicative of future market movements or representative of any actual impact on its future results. 
VaR should always be viewed in the context of its limitations; notably, the use of historical data as a proxy for estimating future 
events, market illiquidity risks and tail risks. Glencore recognises these limitations, and thus complements and continuously refines 
its VaR analysis by ana lysing forward looking stress scenarios and back testing calculated VaR against actual movements arising in 
the next business week.

Glencore’s VaR computation currently covers its business in the key base metals (aluminium, nickel, zinc, copper, lead, etc), coal, 
oil/natural gas and the main risks in the Agricultural products business segment (grain, oilseeds, sugar and cotton) and assesses 
the open­priced positions which are those subject to price risk, including inventories of these commodities. Due to the lack of a 
liquid terminal market, Glencore does not include a VaR calculation for products such as alumina or ferroalloy commodities as it 
does not consider the nature of these markets, nor the Group’s underlying exposures to these products to be suited to this type of 
analysis. Alternative tools have been implemented and are used to monitor exposures related to these products.

net present value at risk
Glencore’s  future  cash  flows  related  to  its  forecast  energy,  minerals  and  agricultural  production  activities  are  also  exposed  to 
 commodity  price  movements.  Glencore  manages  this  exposure  through  a  combination  of  portfolio  diversification,  occasional 
shorter term hedging via futures and options transactions, insurance products and continuous internal monitoring, reporting and 
quantification of the underlying operations’ estimated valuations.

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Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

interest rate risk
Glencore is exposed to various risks associated with the effects of fluctuations in the prevailing levels of market interest rates on 
its assets and liabilities and cash flows. Matching of assets and liabilities is utilised as the dominant method to hedge interest rate 
risks. Floating rate debt which is predominantly used to fund fast turning working capital (interest is internally charged on the fund-
ing of this working capital) is primarily based on U.S. $ LIBOR plus an appropriate premium. Accordingly, prevailing market interest 
rates are continuously factored into transactional pricing and terms.

Assuming the amount of floating rate liabilities at the reporting period end were outstanding for the whole year, interest rates were 
50 basis points higher/lower and all other variables held constant, Glencore’s income and shareholders’ funds for the year ended 
31 December 2011 would decrease/increase by $ 98 million (2010: decrease/increase by $ 91 million).

currency risk
The U.S. Dollar is the predominant functional currency of the Group. Currency risk is the risk of loss from movements in exchange 
rates related to transactions and balances in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar. Such transactions include operating expendi-
ture, capital expenditure and to a lesser extent purchases and sales in currencies other than the functional currency. Purchases 
or sales of commodities concluded in currencies other than the functional currency, apart from certain limited domestic sales at 
industrial operations which act as a hedge against local operating costs, are hedged through forward exchange contracts. Con-
sequently, foreign exchange movements against the U.S. Dollar on recognised transactions would have an immaterial financial 
impact. Glencore enters into currency hedging transactions with leading financial institutions.

Glencore’s debt related payments (both principal and interest) are denominated in or swapped using hedging instruments into 
U.S. Dollars. Glencore’s operating expenses, being a small portion of its revenue base, are incurred in a mix of currencies of which 
the U.S. Dollar, Swiss Franc, Pound Sterling, Australian Dollar, Euro, Kazakhstan Tenge, Colombian Peso and South African Rand 
are the predominant currencies.

Glencore has issued Euro, Swiss Franc and Sterling denominated bonds (see note 17). Cross currency swaps were concluded to 
hedge the currency risk on the principal and related interest payments of these bonds. These contracts were designated as cash 
flow hedges of the foreign currency risks associated with the bonds. The fair value of these derivatives is as follows:

US $ million

Notional amounts

Recognised fair values

Buy

Sell

Assets

Liabilities

Average 

maturity ¹

Cross currency swap agreements – 2011

Cross currency swap agreements – 2010

0

0

6 080

6 584

0

0

174

185

2015

2015

¹ Refer to note 17 for details.

credit risk
Credit risk arises from the possibility that counterparties may not be able to settle obligations due to Glencore within their agreed 
payment terms. Financial assets which potentially expose Glencore to credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, 
receivables and advances, derivative instruments and non current advances and loans. Glencore’s credit management process 
includes  the  assessment,  monitoring  and  reporting  of  counterparty  exposure  on  a  regular  basis.  Glencore’s  cash  equivalents 
are placed overnight with a diverse group of highly credit rated financial institutions. Credit risk with respect to receivables and 
advances is mitigated by the large number of customers comprising Glencore’s customer base, their diversity across various in-
dustries and geographical areas, as well as Glencore’s policy to mitigate these risks through letters of credit, netting, collateral 
and insurance arrangements where appropriate. Additionally, it is Glencore’s policy that transactions and activities in trade related 
financial instruments be concluded under master netting agreements or long form confirmations to enable offsetting of balances 
due to/from a common counterparty in the event of default by the counterparty. Glencore actively and continuously monitors 
the  credit  quality  of  its  counterparties  through  internal  reviews  and  a  credit  scoring  process,  which  includes,  where  available, 
public credit ratings. Balances with counterparties not having a public investment grade or equivalent internal rating are typically 
enhanced to investment grade through the extensive use of credit enhancement products, such as letters of credit or insurance 
products. Glencore has a diverse customer base, with no customer representing more than 3% (2010: 3%) of its trade receivables 
(on a gross basis taking into account credit enhancements) or accounting for more than 2% of its revenues over the year ended 
2011 (2010: 3%).

The maximum exposure to credit risk, without considering netting agreements or without taking account of any collateral held or 
other credit enhancements, is equal to the carrying amount of Glencore’s financial assets plus the guarantees to third parties and 
Associates (see note 27).

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  145
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  145

 
Financial StatementS

Performance risk
Performance risk arises from the possibility that counterparties may not be willing or able to meet their future contractual physical 
sale or purchase obligations to/from Glencore. Glencore undertakes the assessment, monitoring and reporting of performance 
risk within its overall credit management process. Glencore’s market breadth, diversified supplier and customer base as well as the 
standard pricing mechanism in the majority of Glencore’s commodity portfolio which does not fix prices beyond three months, 
with the main exception being coal and cotton where longer term fixed price contracts are common, ensure that performance 
risk is adequately mitigated. The commodity industry is continuing a trend towards shorter fixed price contract periods, in part to 
mitigate against such potential performance risk, but also due to the development of more transparent and liquid spot markets, 
e.g. coal and iron ore and associated derivative products and indexes.

liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that Glencore is unable to meet its payment obligations when due, or that it is unable, on an ongoing basis, 
to borrow funds in the market on an unsecured or secured basis at an acceptable price to fund actual or proposed commitments. 
Prudent liquidity risk management implies maintaining sufficient cash and cash equivalents through the availability of adequate 
committed funding facilities. Glencore has set itself an internal minimum liquidity target to maintain at all times, available commit-
ted undrawn credit facilities of $ 3 billion (2010: $ 3 billion). Glencore’s credit profile, diversified funding sources and committed 
credit facilities, ensure that sufficient liquid funds are maintained to meet its liquidity requirements. As part of its liquidity manage-
ment, Glencore closely monitors and plans for its future capital expenditure and proposed investments, as well as credit facility 
refinancing/extension requirements, well ahead of time.

Certain borrowing arrangements require compliance with specific financial covenants related to working capital, minimum cur-
rent ratio and a maximum long term debt to tangible net worth ratio. During the period, the Company has complied with these 
requirements.

As at 31 December 2011, Glencore had available committed undrawn credit facilities, cash and marketable securities amounting to 
$ 6,831 million (2010: $ 4,220 million). The maturity profile of Glencore’s financial liabilities based on the contractual terms is as follows:

After
 5 years

Due 
3 – 5 years

Due 
2 – 3 years

Due
 1 – 2 years

Due
 0 –1 year

Total

2 178

9 985

4 396

8 185

28 029

3 285

0

270

0

0

0

547

0

820

0

768

0

39

0

849

0

394

3 555

3 545

10 792

5 639

39

942

18 160

3 551

30 877

39

3 376

18 160

4 804

54 408

45 731

45 731

After
 5 years

Due 
3 – 5 years

Due 
2  – 3 years

Due
 1–  2 years

Due
 0 –1 year

4 152

0

668

0

0

0

4 974

7 094

2 031

11 881

0

949

0

739

0

0

766

0

288

0

0

800

0

955

0

484

834

15 973

6 084

45

Total

30 132

484

4 017

15 973

8 066

45

4 820

6 662

8 148

3 786

35 301

58 717

44 296

44 296

2011
US $ million

Borrowings

Commodities sold with agreements to repurchase

Expected future interest payments

Accounts payable

Other financial liabilities

total

Current assets

2010
US $ million

Borrowings

Commodities sold with agreements to repurchase

Expected future interest payments

Accounts payable

Other financial liabilities

Liabilities held for sale

total

Current assets

146  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
146  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

 
 
Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

24. finAnciAl inStRUmentS

Fair value of financial instruments
The following table presents the carrying values and fair values of Glencore’s financial instruments. Fair value is the amount at 
which a financial instrument could be exchanged in an arm’s length transaction between informed and willing parties, other than 
in a forced or liquidated sale. Where available, market values have been used to determine fair values. When market values are 
not available, fair values have been calculated by discounting expected cash flows at prevailing interest and exchange rates. The 
estimated fair values have been determined using market information and appropriate valuation methodologies, but are not nec-
essarily indicative of the amounts that Glencore could realise in the normal course of business.

The financial assets and liabilities are presented by class in the tables below at their carrying values, which generally approxi-
mate to the fair values. In the case of $ 28,029 million (2010: $ 30,132 million) of borrowings, the fair value at 31 December 2011 
is $ 28,247  million (2010: $ 31,476 million).

2011 
US $ million

assets
Other investments 3

Advances and loans

Accounts receivable

Other financial assets

Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities

total financial assets

liabilities

Borrowings

Commodities sold with agreements to repurchase

Accounts payable

Other financial liabilities

total financial liabilities

Carrying
value 1

Available
for sale

FVtPL 2

Total

0

4 141

21 895

0

0

842

0

0

0

0

26 036

842

28 029

39 

18 160

0

46 228

0

0

0

0

0

705

0

0

5 065

1 345

7 115

0

0

0

4 804

4 804

1 547

4 141

21 895

5 065

1 345

33 993

28 029

39

18 160

4 804

51 032

1  Carrying value comprises investments, loans, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other liabilities measured at amortised cost.
2  FVtPL – Fair value through profit and loss – held for trading.
3  Other investments of $ 1,429 million are classified as Level 1 with the remaining balance of $ 118 million classified as Level 3.

2010 
US $ million

assets

Other investments

Advances and loans

Accounts receivable

Other financial assets

Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities

total financial assets

liabilities

Ordinary and hybrid profit participation shareholders

Borrowings

Commodities sold with agreements to repurchase

Accounts payable

Other financial liabilities

total financial liabilities

Carrying
value 1

Available
for sale

FVtPL 2

Total

0

2 048

3 830

18 994

0

0

0

0

0

0

22 824

2 048

14 189

30 132

484

15 973

0

60 778

0

0

0

0

0

0

390

0

0

5 982

1 529

7 901

0

0

0

0

8 066

8 066

2 438

3 830

18 994

5 982

1 529

32 773

14 189

30 132

484

15 973

8 066

68 844

1  Carrying value comprises investments, loans, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other liabilities measured at amortised cost.
2  FVtPL – Fair value through profit and loss – held for trading.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  147
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  147

 
 
 
 
Financial StatementS

The following tables show the fair values of the derivative financial instruments including trade related financial and physical for-
ward purchase and sale commitments by type of contract as at 31 December 2011 and 2010. Fair values are primarily determined 
using  quoted  market  prices  or  standard  pricing  models  using  observable  market  inputs  where  available  and  are  presented  to 
reflect the expected gross future cash in/outflows. Glencore classifies the fair values of its financial instruments into a three level 
hierarchy based on the degree of the source and observability of the inputs that are used to derive the fair value of the financial 
asset or liability as follows:

Level 1   unadjusted quoted inputs in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; or
inputs other than quoted inputs included in Level 1 that are directly or indirectly observable in the market; or
Level 2  
Level 3   unobservable market inputs or observable but can not be market corroborated, requiring Glencore to make market 

based assumptions.

Level 1 classifications primarily include futures with a tenor of less than one year and options that are exchange traded. Level 2 
classi fications primarily include futures with a tenor greater than one year, over the counter options, swaps and physical forward 
transactions which derive their fair value primarily from exchange quotes and readily observable broker quotes. Level 3 classifica-
tions primarily include physical forward transactions which derive their fair value predominately from models that use broker quotes 
and applicable market based estimates surrounding location, quality and credit differentials. In circumstances where Glencore 
cannot verify fair value with observable market inputs (Level 3 fair values), it is possible that a different valuation model could pro-
duce a materially different estimate of fair value.

It is Glencore’s policy that transactions and activities in trade related financial instruments be concluded under master netting 
agreements or long form confirmations to enable balances due to/from a common counterparty to be offset in the event of default 
by the counterparty. 

Other financial assets

2011
US $ million

commodity related contracts

Futures

Options

Swaps

Physical forwards

Financial contracts

Cross currency swaps

Foreign currency and interest rate contracts

total

2010
US $ million

commodity related contracts

Futures

Options

Swaps

Physical forwards

Financial contracts

Cross currency swaps

Foreign currency and interest rate contracts

total

148  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
148  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

2 521

50

67

0

0

61

528

0

239

1 015

76

50

2 699

1 908

0

0

0

458

0

0

458

3 049

50

306

1 473

76

111

5 065

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

1 168

106

174

0

0

45

1 493

628

43

471

1 744

149

80

3 115

0

0

0

1 374

0

0

1 374

1 796

149

645

3 118

149

125

5 982

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Other financial liabilities

2011
US $ million

commodity related contracts

Futures

Options

Swaps

Physical forwards

Financial contracts

Cross currency swaps

Foreign currency and interest rate contracts

total

2010
US $ million

commodity related contracts

Futures

Options

Swaps

Physical forwards

Financial contracts

Cross currency swaps

Foreign currency and interest rate contracts

total

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

1 643

61

31

0

0

76

758

51

372

590

766

15

1 811

2 552

0

25

0

416

0

0

441

2 401

137

403

1 006

766

91

4 804

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

2 786

25

295

0

0

37

3 143

1 356

70

489

1 199

660

31

3 805

0

99

0

1 019

0

0

 1 118

4 142

194

784

2 218

660

68

8 066

The following table shows the net changes in fair value of Level 3 other financial assets and other financial liabilities:

US $ million

1 January 2010

Total gain/(loss) recognised in cost of goods sold

Sales

Realised

31 December 2010

1 January 2011

Total gain/(loss) recognised in cost of goods sold

Sales

Realised

31 December 2011

Swaps

Physical
forwards

Options

Total 
Level 3

– 1

2

0

– 1

0

0

0

0

0

0

681

– 209

0

– 117

355

355

– 269

0

– 44

42

– 88

– 58

– 41

88

– 99

– 99

1

0

73

– 25

592

– 265

– 41

– 30

256

256

– 268

0

29

17

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  149
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  149

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial StatementS

25. AUditoRS’ RemUneRAtion

US $ million

2011

2010

Remuneration in respect of the audit of Glencore’s consolidated financial statements

Other audit fees, primarily in respect of audits of accounts of subsidiaries

total audit fees

Audit­related assurance services

Corporate finance services ¹

Taxation compliance services

Other taxation advisory services

Other services

total non-audit fees

total professional fees

3

13

16

2

12

2

1

1

18

34

3

11

14

1

7

1

1

1

11

25

1  Included within corporate finance services is $ 9 million (2010: $ 6 million) of professional fees related directly to the auditors role as Reporting 

Accountant in connection with the Listing. The expenses have been classified as Listing related expenses (see note 13).

26. fUtURe commitmentS

Capital expenditure for the acquisition of property, plant and equipment is generally funded through the cash flow generated by 
the respective industrial entities. As at 31 December 2011, $ 884 million (2010: $ 787 million), of which 92% (2010: 100%) relates to 
expenditure to be incurred over the next year, was contractually committed for the acquisition of property, plant and equipment.

Certain of Glencore’s exploration tenements and licenses require it to spend a minimum amount per year on development ac-
tivities, a significant portion of which would have been incurred in the ordinary course of operations. As at 31 December 2011, 
$ 549 million (2010: $ 404 million) of such development expenditures are to be incurred, of which 57% (2010: 36%) are for commit-
ments to be settled over the next year.

Glencore procures seagoing vessel/chartering services to meet its overall marketing objectives and commitments. At year end, 
Glencore has committed to future hire costs to meet future physical delivery and sale obligations and expectations of $ 2,171 mil-
lion  (2010:  $ 2,608  million)  of  which  $ 570  million  (2010:  $ 325  million)  are  with  associated  companies.  50%  (2010:  50%)  of  these 
charters are for services to be received over the next 2 years. 

As part of Glencore’s ordinary sourcing and procurement of physical commodities and other ordinary marketing obligations, the 
selling party may request that a financial institution act as either a) the paying party upon the delivery of product and qualifying 
documents through the issuance of a letter of credit or b) the guarantor by way of issuing a bank guarantee accepting responsibility 
for Glencore’s contractual obligations. As at 31 December 2011, $ 8,642 million (2010: $ 8,956 million) of such commitments have 
been issued on behalf of Glencore, which will generally be settled simultaneously with the payment for such commodity.

Glencore has entered into various operating leases mainly as lessee for office and warehouse/storage facilities. Rental expenses 
for these leases totalled respectively $ 77 million and $ 66 million for the years ended 31 December 2011 and 2010. Future net mini-
mum lease payments under non cancellable operating leases are as follows:

US $ million

Within 1 year

Between 2 and 5 years

After 5 years

total

150  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
150  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

2011

2010

76

147

120

343

97

225

151

473

 
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Glencore has entered into finance leases for various plant and equipment items, primarily vessels and machinery. Future net mini-
mum lease payments under finance leases together with the future finance charges are as follows:

US $ million

Within 1 year

Between 2 and 5 years

After 5 years

total minimum lease payments

Less: amounts representing finance lease charges

Present value of minimum lease payments

Future development and related commitments

Undiscounted minimum
lease payments

Present value of minimum
lease payments

2011

2010

2011

2010

50

197

136

383

 66

317

5

23

95

123

 56

67

39

164

114

317

317

4

18

45

67

67

Kazzinc
In  April  2011,  Glencore  agreed  to  acquire  additional  stakes  in  Kazzinc.  Upon  closing,  these  purchases  will  increase  Glencore’s 
ownership from 50.7% to 93.0% for a total transaction consideration of $ 2.2 billion in cash and $ 1.0 billion in equity based on the 
Listing price (116.8 million shares). Glencore and seller are currently targeting an agreed Q3 2012 completion date.

Kansuki
In August 2010, Glencore acquired an ultimate 37.5% interest in the Kansuki concession (Kansuki), a 185 square kilometre cop-
per and cobalt pre­development project which borders Glencore’s partly owned Mutanda concession in the DRC. In exchange, 
Glencore  has  a)  an  obligation  to  finance  the  first  $  400  million  of  development  related  expenditures,  if  any,  as  and  when  such 
expenditure is incurred, b) the right to operate the operations and c) a life of mine off­take agreement for all copper and cobalt 
produced  by  Kansuki. In addition, one  of  the  partners in  Kansuki  has the right to sell an additional 18.75% ultimate interest to 
Glencore at the then calculated equity value of the operation, at the earlier of the date the operation produces a minimum annual 
70,000 tonnes of copper and August 2013. A total of $ 135 million of capital expenditure for mine and plant development has been 
committed of which $ 103 million has been spent. Exploration of the Kansuki concession is ongoing. Discussions with respect to 
a potential combination of the Mutanda and Kansuki operations are ongoing, with a view to ultimately obtaining a majority stake 
in the merged entity.

Prodeco
Prodeco currently exports the majority of its coal through Puerto Prodeco which operates under a private concession awarded 
by the Colombian government. This concession expired in March 2009, however the Colombian government has continued to 
grant Prodeco the right to use the port under annual lease agreements. To comply with new government regulations on loading 
methods, which became effective from July 2010 and to alleviate itself from the uncertainty of the annual concession renewal pro-
cess associated with Puerto Prodeco, Prodeco has commenced construction of a new, wholly owned, port facility (Puerto Nuevo) 
which is estimated to cost $ 567 million and be commissioned over the first half of 2013. If the concession does not continue to 
be extended, Prodeco’s export capability could be curtailed, which would significantly impact operations until Puerto Nuevo is 
operational. As at 31 December 2011, $ 246 million of the estimated initial investment has been incurred and $ 157 million has been 
contractually committed and is included in the capital expenditure commitments disclosure above. 

Rosh Pinah Zinc corporation (Proprietary) limited
In December 2011, Glencore entered into an agreement to acquire an 80.1% interest in Rosh Pinah, an underground zinc/lead mine 
in south­western Namibia for total consideration of approximately $ 175 million. As at 31 December 2011, $ 47 million have been 
placed in escrow (see note 11). Closing is subject to the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals which are expected in 2012.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  151

Financial StatementS

27. continGent liAbilitieS

The  amount  of  corporate  guarantees  in  favour  of  associated  and  third  parties  as  at  31  December  2011,  was  $ 53  million  (2010: 
$ 69 million). Also see note 7.

litigation
Certain legal actions, other claims and unresolved disputes are pending against Glencore. Whilst Glencore cannot predict the 
results of any litigation, it believes that it has meritorious defenses against those actions or claims. Glencore believes the likelihood 
of any material liability arising from these claims to be remote and that the liability, if any, resulting from any litigation will not have 
a material adverse effect on its consolidated income, financial position or cashflows.

environmental contingencies
Glencore’s  operations,  mainly  those  arising  from  the  ownership  in  industrial  investments,  are  subject  to  various  environmental 
laws  and  regulations.  Glencore  is  in  material  compliance  with  those  laws  and  regulations.  Glencore  accrues  for  environmental 
contingencies when such contingencies are probable and reasonably estimable. Such accruals are adjusted as new information 
develops or circumstances change. Recoveries of environmental remediation costs from insurance companies and other parties 
are recorded as assets when the recoveries are virtually certain. At this time, Glencore is unaware of any material environmental 
incidents at its locations.

Bolivian constitution
In 2009 the Government of Bolivia enacted a new constitution. One of the principles of the constitution requires mining entities 
to form joint ventures with the government. Glencore, through its subsidiary Sinchi Wayra, has, in good faith, entered into negoti­
ations with the Bolivian government regarding this requirement. Whilst progress has been made, the final outcome and the timing 
thereof cannot be determined at this stage.

28. RelAted pARty tRAnSActionS

In the normal course of business, Glencore enters into various arm’s length transactions with related parties (including Xstrata and 
Century), including fixed price commitments to sell and to purchase commodities, forward sale and purchase contracts, agency 
agreements and management service agreements. Outstanding balances at period end are unsecured and settlement occurs in 
cash (see notes 8, 10, 13 and 21). There have been no guarantees provided or received for any related party receivables or payables.

All transactions between Glencore and its subsidiaries are eliminated on consolidation along with any unrealised profits and losses
between its subsidiaries and Associates. Glencore entered into the following transactions with its Associates:

US $ million

Sales

Purchases

Interest income

Interest expense

Agency income

Agency expense

2011

2010

1 666

– 10 414

1 086

– 9 472

42

– 1

69

0

34

– 1

82

– 5

Remuneration of key management personnel
The remuneration of Directors and other members of key management personnel recognised in the statement of income includ-
ing salaries and other current employee benefits amounted to $ 170 million (2010: $ 146 million). Immediately prior to the Listing, 
Glencore implemented a Restructuring whereby $ 6,130 million of PPS and HPPS amounts owing to the Directors and other mem-
bers of key management personnel were settled in exchange for new ordinary shares (see note 13). Further details on remuneration 
of Directors is set out in the Directors’ Remuneration report on pages 91–96.

152  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
152  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

29. SUbSeqUent eventS

Subsequent to year end, the following significant events occurred:

•  On 7 February 2012, Glencore announced its intention to acquire an additional 37.5% stake in Chemoil for cash consideration of 

$ 174 million. The transaction is expected to close in Q2 2012.

•  On 7 February 2012, the Glencore Directors and the Independent Xstrata Directors announced that they had reached an agree-
ment on the terms of a recommended all-share merger (the “Merger”) of equals of Glencore and Xstrata to create a unique 
$  90  billion  natural  resources  group.  The  terms  of  the  Merger  provide  Xstrata  shareholders  with  2.8  newly  issued  shares  in 
Glencore for each Xstrata share held. The Merger is to be effected by way of a Court sanctioned scheme of arrangement of 
Xstrata under Part 26 of the UK Companies Act, pursuant to which Glencore will acquire the entire issued and to be issued or-
dinary share capital of Xstrata not already owned by the Glencore Group. The Merger is subject to shareholder, anti­trust and 
regulatory approvals.

•  On 14 March 2012, Glencore received the applicable regulatory approvals to complete the acquisition of an additional 28.5% 

interest in Optimum as originally agreed. See note 22 for more information.

•  On 20 March 2012, Glencore signed a definitive agreement pursuant to which it has agreed to acquire all of the issued and out-
standing shares of Viterra for CAD 16.25 per share in cash by way of a court approved plan of arrangement. The transaction values 
Viterra’s equity at approximately CAD 6.1 billion on a fully diluted basis. At the same time, Glencore has entered into agreements 
with each of Agrium and Richardson International which provide for the sale of certain assets of Viterra including assets which 
comprise a majority of Viterra’s Canadian operations for a total cash consideration of CAD 2.6 billion, subject to specified pur-
chase price adjustments, including payment for working capital. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing 
conditions, including receipt of court, shareholder and regulatory approvals and the absence of material adverse change. The 
transaction is expected to close during third quarter of 2012.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  153
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  153

Financial StatementS

30. liSt of pRincipAl opeRAtinG, finAnce And indUStRiAl SUbSidiARieS And inveStmentS

Method of 
consolidation
in 2011 1  

Country of
incorporation

% 
interest 2011

% 
interest 2010

Main activity

Glencore International plc

  Glencore International AG

    Glencore AG

P

F

F

      Allied Alumina Inc. (Sherwin Alumina) F

      Century Aluminum Company 2

      Glencore Funding LLC

    Glencore UK Ltd

      Glencore Commodities Ltd

      Glencore Energy UK Ltd

    Glencore Group Funding Limited

      Glencore Finance (Bermuda) Ltd

        AR Zinc Group

        Boundary Ventures Limited 3

E

F

F

F

F

F

F

F

E

        Empresa Minera Los Quenuales S.A. F

        Glencore Exploration (EG) Ltd.

        Glencore Finance (Europe) S.A.

        Kansuki Group 

        Minera Altos de Punitaqui

        Mopani Copper Mines plc

        Mutanda Group

        Prodeco Group 

        Recylex S.A.

        Sinchi Wayra Group

        United Company Rusal Limited

    Finges Investment B.V.

      Biopetrol Industries AG 4

      Glencore Grain B.V.

      Nyrstar N.V.

      Optimum Coal Holdings Limited

F

F

E

F

F

E

F

E

F

O

F

F

F

O

E

      Pannon Vegetable Oil Manufacturing F

      Rio Vermelho

      Sable Zinc Kabwe Limited

      Umcebo Mining (Pty) Ltd 5

      Usti Oilseed Group

      Xstrata plc

      Zaklady Tluszczowe w Bodaczowie 

    Chemoil Energy Limited 6

    Cobar Group

    Glencore Singapore Pte Ltd

    Kazzinc Ltd.

      Vasilkovskoye Gold

F

F

F

F

E

F

F

F

F

F

F

Jersey

Switzerland

Switzerland

100.0

100.0

United States

100.0

United States

46.4

United States

100.0

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

UAE

Bermuda

Argentina

Burkina Faso

Peru

Bermuda

Luxembourg

DRC

Chile

Zambia

DRC

Colombia

France

Bolivia

Jersey

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

55.7

97.5

100.0

100.0

37.5

100.0

73.1

40.0

100.0

32.2

100.0

8.8

Netherlands

100.0

Switzerland

60.3

Netherlands

100.0

Belgium

South Africa

Hungary

Brazil

Zambia

7.8

31.2

100.0

100.0

100.0

South Africa

43.7

Czech Republic 100.0

U.K.

Poland

Hong Kong

Australia

Singapore

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

34.5

90.7

51.5

100.0

100.0

50.7

100.0

n.a.

100.0

100.0

44.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

0.0

97.1

100.0

100.0

37.5

100.0

73.1

40.0

100.0

32.2

100.0

8.8

100.0

60.3

100.0

7.8

0.0

100.0

76.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

34.5

0.0

51.5

100.0

100.0

50.7

100.0

Operating

Operating

Alumina production

Aluminium production

Finance

Operating

Operating

Operating

Finance

Finance

Zinc/Lead production

Zinc development

Zinc/Lead production

Oil exploration/development

Finance

Copper production

Copper production

Copper production

Copper production

Coal production

Zinc/Lead production

Zinc/Tin production

Aluminium production

Finance

Biodiesel production

Operating

Zinc/Lead production

Coal production

Vegetable oil production

Sugar cane/ethanol production

Copper production

Coal production

Edible oil production

Diversified production

Edible oil production

Oil storage and bunkering

Copper production

Operating

Zinc/Lead/Copper production

Gold production

1  P = Parent; F = Full consolidation; E = Equity method; O = Other investment
2  Represents Glencore’s economic interest in Century, comprising 41.6% (2010: 39.1%) voting interest and 4.8% (2010: 4.9%) non voting interest.
3   Although Glencore holds more than 50% of the voting rights, it does not have the ability to exercise control over Boundary Ventures as a result of 

shareholder agreements which provide for joint control over the governance of the financial and operating policies.

4  Publicly traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol A0HNQ5. Glencore owns 46,812,601 shares.
5   Although Glencore holds less than 50% of the voting rights, it has the ability to exercise control over Umcebo as a result of shareholder agree-

ments which provide Glencore the ability to control the Board of Directors.

6  Publicly traded on the Singapore Exchange under the symbol CHEL.SI. Glencore owns 666,204,594 shares.

154  |  Annual Report 2011  |  
154  |  Annual Report 2010  |  

 
 
Financial StatementS
overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

Method of 
consolidation
in 2011 

Country of
incorporation

% 
interest 2011

% 
interest 2010

Main activity

    Katanga Mining Limited 7

    Murrin Murrin Group

    Moinho Agua Branca S.A.

    Moreno Group

    Pacorini Group 

    Pasar Group

    Polymet Mining Corp.

    Portovesme S.r.L.

    Renova S.A.

F

F

F

F

F

F

E

F

E

    Russneft Group (various companies) 8 O

    Shanduka Coal (Pty) Ltd

    ST Shipping & Transport Pte Ltd

    Topley Corporation

    Volcan Compania Minera S.A.A. 

F

F

F

O

Bermuda

Australia

Brazil

Argentina

Switzerland

Philippines

Canada

Italy

Argentina

Russia

75.2

100.0

97.0

100.0

100.0

78.2

24.1

100.0

33.5

74.4

82.4

97.0

100.0

100.0

78.2

6.3

100.0

33.3

Copper production

Nickel production

Wheat flour milling

Edible oils production

Metals warehousing

Copper production

Copper production

Zinc/Lead production

Vegetable oil production

40.0 – 49.0

40.0 – 49.0

Oil production

South Africa

70.0

Singapore

B.V.I.

Peru

100.0

100.0

6.9

70.0

100.0

100.0

4.1

Coal production

Operating

Ship owner

Zinc production

7  Publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol KAT.TO. Glencore owns 1,433,702,634 shares.
8  Although Glencore holds more than 20% of the voting rights, it has limited key management influence and thus does not exercise significant 

influence.

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  155
  |  Annual Report 2010  |  155

 
 
AdditionAl 
 informAtion

5 | Additional information 

  5.1 | Glossary 
  5.2 | Shareholder information 

158
159

5.1 | Glossary

AvAilAble committed liquidity

US $ million

Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities

Headline committed syndicated revolving credit facilities

Amount drawn under syndicated revolving credit facilities

Amount drawn under U.S. commercial paper program

Total

2011

2010

1 345

11 905

– 5 907

– 512

6 831

1 529

10 260

– 7 259

– 310

4 220

AdJuSted cuRReNt RAtio
Current assets over current liabilities, both adjusted to exclude other financial liabilities.

AdJuSted ebit/ebitdA 

US $ million

Revenue

Cost of goods sold

Selling and administrative expenses

Share of income from associates and jointly controlled entities

Dividend income

Share of Associates’ exceptional items

Adjusted EBIT 
Depreciation and amortisation

Adjusted EBITDA

2011

2010

186 152

– 181 938

– 857

1 972

24

45

5 398
1 066

6 464

144 978

– 140 467

– 1 063

1 829

13

0

5 290
 911

6 201

cuRReNt cAPitAl emPloyed
Current capital employed is current assets, presented before assets held for sale, less accounts payable, 
other financial liabilities, current provisions and income tax payable.

coPPeR equivAleNt
Glencore has adopted a copper equivalent measure to assist in analysing and evaluating across its varied 
commodity portfolio. The copper equivalent measure is determined by multiplying the volumes of the re-
spective commodity produced or marketed by the ratio of the respective commodity’s average price over 
the average copper price in the prevailing period.

GleNcoRe Net iNcome
Income before attribution less attribution to non controlling interests.

GleNcoRe SHAReHoldeRS’ FuNdS
Total net assets attributable to profit participation shareholders, non controlling interests and equity hold-
ers less non controlling interests.

ReAdily mARketAble iNveNtoRieS
Readily marketable inventories are readily convertible into cash due to their very liquid nature, widely avail-
able markets and the fact that the price risk is covered either by a physical sale transaction or hedge transac-
tion on a commodity exchange or with a highly rated counterparty.

158  |  Annual Report 2011  |  

overview  |  BUSiNeSS review  |  CorPorATe GoverNANCe  |  FiNANCiAL STATeMeNTS  |  AddiTioNAL iNForMATioN

5.2 | Shareholder information

Glencore International plc is registered in Jersey, with headquarters in Switzerland 
and operations around the world.

Headquarters

Registered Office

Baarermattstrasse 3
P.O. Box 777
CH-6341 Baar
Switzerland

Queensway House
Hilgrove Street
St Helier
Jersey
JE1 1ES

The company has a primary quote on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and a secondary quote 
on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEx).

London Stock Exchange (LSE)
Reuters Code: GLEN.L
Bloomberg Code: GLEN LN
ISIN: JE00B4T3BW64
Sedol Number: LON B4T3BW6

Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEx)
Reuters Code: 0805.HK
Bloomberg Code: 805
ISIN: JE00B4T3BW64
Sedol Number: XHKG B3NFYS8 

Share registrar

Enquiries

Computershare Investor Services (Jersey) Limited
Queensway House
Hilgrove Street
St Helier, Jersey
JE1 1ES
Channel Islands
Tel.: +44 (0) 870 707 4040

Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Limited
Hopewell Centre 46th Floor
183 Queen’s Road East
Wan Chai
Hong Kong
Tel.: +852 2862 8628

Company Secretary
John Burton
john.burton@glencore.com 

Assistant Company Secretary
Ivy Chan
ivy.chan@glencore.com

Glencore International plc
Baarermattstrasse 3
CH-6340 Baar
Switzerland 
Tel.: +41 41 709 2000
Fax: +41 41 709 3000
E-mail: info@glencore.com

  |  Annual Report 2011  |  159

Forward looking statements

This document contains statements that are, or may be deemed to be, “forward looking statements”. These forward looking statements may 
be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, including the terms “believes”, “estimates”, “plans”, “projects”, “anticipates”, “will”, 
“could”, or “should” or in each case, their negative or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, 
objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These forward looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts and include, but 
are not limited to, statements regarding Glencore’s beliefs, opinions or current expectations concerning, among other things, the business, 
financial condition, results of operations, prospects, strategies and plans of Glencore. 

By their nature, forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Glencore’s control. 
Forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and may and often do differ materially from actual results. Important 
factors that could cause these uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those discussed under “Principal risks and uncertainties” in section 
1.7 of this document. 

No assurance can be given that such future results will be achieved; actual events or results may differ materially as a result of risks and uncer-
tainties facing Glencore. Such risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to vary materially from the future results indicated, expressed 
or implied in such forward looking statements. 

Forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Other than in accordance with its legal or regulatory obligations 
 (including under the UK Listing Rules and the Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the Financial Services Authority and the Rules Governing 
the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited), Glencore is not under any obligation and Glencore and its affiliates 
expressly disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future 
events or otherwise. 

No statement in this document is intended as a profit forecast or a profit estimate and no statement in this document should be interpreted 
to mean that earnings per Glencore share for the current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published 
earnings per Glencore share.

This document does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe 
for any securities. The making of this document does not constitute a recommendation regarding any securities. 

160  |  Annual Report 2011  |