Ukrainian iron ore mines boost pellet output in 2006

Ukrainian iron ore mines boost pellet output in 2006

Ukrainian iron ore mines boosted pellet production in 2006.

Poltavsky GOK (PGOK), Ukraine’s biggest producer, raised commercial pellet production tentatively 10.2% to 8.55 million tonnes of pellets, a source at the company told Interfax. Iron ore concentrate productiongrew 15.7% to 9.621 million tonnes.

PGOK produced 782,000 tonnes of pellets and 855,000 tonnes of concentrate in December.

PGOK exports around 90% of its pellets. The company has said it expected to increase shipments to China in 2006. PGOK’s main customersare located in Austria, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Italy.

Switzerland’s Ferrexpo AG owned 85.8491% of PGOK as of mid- September.
System Capital Management’s Tsentralny GOK or Central Mining and Beneficiation Plant from Kriviy Rih raised iron ore pellet output 3.1% in 2006 to 2.217 million tonnes. Concentrate production rose 4.6% to 5.572 million tonnes, the company told Interfax.

The mine produced 210,000 tonnes of pellets and 461,000 tonnes of concentrate in December.
The mine sells most of its pellets to Ukrainian steel mills. It sold 2.209 million tonnes to the Azovstal mill last year.

The company is one of Ukraine’s five biggest iron ore producers. The Donetsk-based System Capital Management (SCM) controls 99% of its shares.

SCM’s Northern or Severny GOK (SevGOK) mine, also from Kriviy Rih, raised commercial pellet production 33.9% in 2006 to 10.1 million tonnes. Iron ore concentrate output jumped 12% to 11.963 million tonnes.

In December alone, the company produced 826,000 tonnes of pellets and 1.063 million tonnes of concentrate.

SCM controls 99% of the Northern mine too.

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