Metals and mining

The 10 millionth ton of coal was shipped at transshipping complexes of Vostochny Port.
Almost the whole volume of 10 million tons of transshipped production is export coal, supplied mainly to countries of the Asia-Pacific region. From the beginning of the year, 41% of export coal was supplied to South Korea, 27% to Japan and 19% to China.

The official opening of the new automated molding lines of the casting house #3 took place at Bezhetsk steel-smelting plant. At the same time, new smelting furnaces were put into operation.
This will help to improve the casting grade, stabilize the quality of the forms and steel casting and almost liquidate hand work. The technology implemented at the smelting sector will assist to obtaining of higher quality metal with maintenance of necessary impulse and mechanical properties. The plant is going to increase the production facilities 2.5 times and organize 300 new working positions.

The largest Russian producer of coking coal has received “several proposals” on the purchase of its American coal asset Bluestone, which was put up for sale to decrease its debt that has reached over $9 billion.
“We have several potential purchasers (of Bluestone)…a European privately held company was interested in, and a rather large American public company,” – the Senior Vice President of the company on economy and business development, Oleg Korzhov reported.
In 2009, Mechel bought Bluestone for $425 million and shares within a deal that made up about $800 million with Bluestone’s debts.

The new enterprise producing mean diameter pipes will be constructed in the Kostroma Region. The construction will be completed within three years, the press service of the regional administration reports.
“The project of Gazpromtrubinvest aimed at foundation of mean diameter pipes is included in the register of the investment projects of the Kostroma Region. The project presupposes foundation of one of the most up-to-date types of production of gas and oil pipelines, casing and shaped pipes. The implementation of new production facilities will help the enterprise to increase the production of highly profitable, competitive products and increase the share of the market in the corresponding segments due to expanding of the assortment”, is said in the report.

The largest Russian gold producer Polyus Gold increased gold production by 7% in January-June 2013 against the same period last year. The revenue might decline by 19%, the company stated.
In the first half of the year the company produced 718.300 troy ounces of refined gold, inclusive of 397.800 troy ounces in the second quarter. It is by 8% more than the same period last year.

OJSC “Sibay mining and processing combined works” (part of OJSC “Ural mining and smelting company”) was pronounced the winner of the auction for the right to use subsurface resources with the aim of  geological exploration, prospecting and production of copper-sulphide ore at the North-Sibay ore occurrence, they said to “Interfax-Volga region” agency in the subsurface department in Bashkiria (Bashnedra).

An enterprise comparable to Norilsk Nickel will be constructed in Taimyr, the President of Alliance Group Plc., the owner of Russian Platinum Group Musa Bazhaev said.
On July 24 the RF government approved Amur Gold Miners’ Artel Plc. as the winner of the tender for Southern part of Norilsk-1 and ordered it to be provided with the above-mentioned sector  for the exploration and mining of nickel, copper, cobalt and associated components.

By results of tender, Ukrtransgas has chosen the company Interpipe Ukraine (Dnepropetrovsk) for purchase of steel pipes to the amount of 10.255 million hryvnias, the Ukrainsky novini reports.
Ukrtransgaz says this in its report on acceptance of the company’s proposal, published on web-portal of public procurement.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Zabaikalye regions presents the results for H1 2013. Within the period, Zabaikalye increased production of wolfram concentrate by 0.1% to 759,300 tons, lead concentrate by 15.5% to 14,864 tons, zinc concentrate by 73.3% to 3,961 tons, and copper concentrate by 32.5% to 3,970 tons. However molybdenum concentrate production declined by 11.4% to 1,296 tons.
Translated by Nadezhda Poltoratskaya
Source:  http://www.metalinfo.ru/ru/news/65295

In the second quarter of 2013, the total steel production in the MMK Group made up 3 079 thousand tons (+0.1% to the first quarter of 2013).
The total output of commercial products in the MMK Group (excluding internal circulations) made up 2 843 thousand tons (at the level of the first quarter of 2013).
In the second quarter of 2013, the MMK’s output of commercial products was 2 757 thousand tons (+0.5% to the first quarter of 2013).