Raspadskaya ups coal production 20% to 2.9 mln t in Q3
MOSCOW. Oct 25 (Interfax) - PSJC Raspadskaya increased coal production by 20% quarter-on-quarter to 2.926 million tonnes in the third quarter of 2018, the Russian coal miner reported.
The company's sales of concentrate increased by 11% to 1.8 million tonnes in the quarter.
Compared to Q3 2017, output rose 12% and concentrate sales grew 4%.
Raspadskaya operating results for Q3 ('000 tonnes) and weighted average price for concentrate (rubles/tonne):
| Q3 2018 | Q3 2018/Q2 2018 | Q3/2018/Q3 2017 | 9M 2018 | 9M 2018/9M 2017 | |
| Total raw coal production | 2 926 | 20% | 12% | 8 363 | -2% |
| Concentrate sales | 1 815 | 11% | 4% | 5 344 | 5% |
| - Russia | 615 | 29% | 11% | 1 636 | -9% |
| - Export | 1 200 | 3% | 1% | 3 708 | 12% |
| Hard coking coal sales | 324 | -53% | 111% | 1 096 | 112% |
| Price (FCA Mezhdurechensk) | 6 910 | 2% | 42% | 6 715 | 17% |
In line with the production plan, the Raspadskaya mine resumed operating on three longwalls during in Q3 2018 after launching a new longwall at horizon 10. This made it possible to increase raw coal production volumes at the mine in the reporting period. The quarter also saw the intensification of open-pit mining at Razrez Raspadsky to compensate for the reduced production at the Raspadskaya mine in Q2 2018. Razrez Raspadsky's production climbed by more than 400,000 tonnes, or 46% quarter-on-quarter. During the reporting period, the company continued to improve the efficiency of open-pit mining for the deficit OS coking coal grade at the site of the Raspadskaya-Koksovaya mine, leading to a 10% quarter-on-quarter increase in production.
Total sales of raw coal dropped by 53% quarter-on-quarter due to changes in the share of Raspadskaya coal used in the product mix at Evraz's Yuzhkuzbassugol coal preparation plants.
The Raspadskaya group comprises an integrated coking coal mining complex, including the country's largest deep mine - the Raspadskaya deep mine, MUK-96 deep mine, Razrez Raspadskaya open pit, the Raspadskaya-Koksovaya mine, a washing plant and other infrastructure.