Ukraine's Sukha Balka starts mining two iron ore blocks with reserves of 170,000 tonnes

MOSCOW. Oct 24 (Interfax) - Sukha Balka, located in Krivoi Rog, Dnipropetrovsk region and part of Alexander Yaroslavsky's DCH Group, started to develop two new iron ore blocks at the Yubileynaya and Frunze mines with total reserves of 170,000 tonnes in October, Ukrainian media reported.

The DCH Steel in-house newspaper said on Thursday that the enterprise prepared and commissioned the new blocks at the beginning of this month.

At the Frunze mine, block 39-45 was put into operation with reserves of 55,000 tonnes of high-grade ore. The No.6 Division prepared the block, with tunneling carried out by highly productive self-propelled equipment. The No.6 Division began mining ore in this block in early October.

Also in October, block 34-36 (+10) of the second sublevel of the Gnezdo deposit was put into operation at the Yubileynaya mine with reserves of 115,000 tonnes. The No. 19 Division prepared it and No. 9 Division drilled deep holes at the block. The No. 17 Division will mine it.

"The commissioning of these blocks will ensure a sustained rate of ore extraction at the mines over the next three months," the company said.

It said nine blocks had been commissioned at the mine this year: six at the Yubileynaya mine with total reserves of 880,000 tonnes and three at the Frunze mine with reserves of 140,000 tonnes.

Sukha Balka is one of Ukraine's leading mining enterprises. It mines iron ore by the underground method and includes the Yubileynaya and Frunze mines.

The DCH Group acquired the mine from the Evraz Group in May 2017.