(Adds detail, shares)
LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Kaz Minerals reported a66 percent jump in production between January and September onThursday as two of its main mines raised output, sending sharesin the Kazakhstan copper firm to a two-year high.
Kaz produced 97,100 tonnes of copper cathode in thenine-month period, compared with 58,400 tonnes a year earlier.
The company maintained its 2016 copper output guidance atbetween 135,000 tonnes and 145,000 tones, up from 81,000 tonnes2015.
Shares in London-listed Kaz, which have nearly trebled invalue this year, were up 3.7 percent to 293 pence by 0824 GMT, alevel last seen in September 2014.
"The market has begun to appreciate the value implicationsof the ramp-up of its two growth projects, alongside lowoperating costs from large open pit, modern mines," the companysaid.
Analysts have looked to this week's production reports forsigns the mining sector is recovering from last year's commodityprice rout.
On Tuesday, Anglo American extended gains of wellover 250 percent this year after announcing production broadlyin line with guidance, while on Wednesday Antofagasta's production miss pushed share prices lower.
Faced with low copper prices, which hit 6-1/2-year lows inJanuary, copper miners have opted to cut costs rather thanoutput.
The low-cost Bozshakol mine and Aktogay open-pit mine nowaccount for about 90 percent of total output, the company said.
Kaz also produces gold, silver and zinc, which have allstaged a comeback in 2016.
But copper prices have barely moved this year,underperforming most industrial metals as demand from top metalsconsumer China wanes.
Benchmark copper was trading around $4,800 a tonneon Thursday.
Larger rival Codelco announced this month itwould delay $2.25 billion in planned investment due to weakprices. (Reporting by Zandi Shabalala; editing by Susan Fenton andJason Neely)
