UPDATE 1-West China's Ankang conveyor operating better than view

* Ankang plant produced 1 mln tonnes of cement by end-Oct * Appoints ICBCI as sponsor for relisting shares on HKSE * Shares up 4.5 pct (Adds details)

Nov 26 (Reuters) - West China Cement Ltd WECC.L said on Thursday its Ankang limestone conveyor belt in China completed in November was operating better than expected, sending its shares up 4.5 percent.

The company said its Ankang plant produced 1 million tonnes of cement and sold 0.9 million tonnes as of Oct. 31. It is expected to run at full capacity in the current quarter.

West China Cement said it appointed ICBCI, a unit of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd, as sponsor for the relisting of its shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE) in the first half of next year.

The company said it expected its Yangxian plant to complete ahead of schedule in the first quarter of 2010, while Mianxian plant is on schedule to be completed in the third quarter. The projects are in line with budget, it said.

West China shares were up 4.5 percent at 488.5 pence at 0823 GMT on the London Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Tresa Sherin Morera in Bangalore; Editing by Vinu Pilakkott) ((tresa.sherin@thomsonreuters.com; +91 80 4135 5800; Reuters Messaging: tresa.sherin@thomsonreuters.com))