Ukrainian iron ore mines reduce pellet output in 2M
KYIV. March 7 (Interfax) - Most Ukrainian mining companies raised iron ore pellet production in January-February 2012.
Poltava Mining, the core asset of the London-listed Ferrexpo plc, raised commercial pellet production 7.5% year-on-year to 1.611 million tonnes and concentrate production 7.6% to 2.004 million tonnes.
But the Metinvest holding's Northern Mining and Beneficiation Plant, from Kryviy Rih, told Interfax that it reduced commercial pellet production 21.8% year-on-year in January-February to 1.431 million tonnes. Iron ore concentrate output fell 1.6% to 2.421 million tonnes.
Metinvest's Central Mining, also from Kryviy Rih, reduced commercial pellet production 1.2% year-on-year to 401,000 tonnes, and concentrate production rose 10.6% to 1.136 million tonnes.
Metinvest also runs Inhulets Mining, which saw iron ore concentrate output fall 2.4% year-on-year in January-February to 2.227 million tonnes.
Southern Mining, from Kryviy Rih, which is controlled by Ukraine's Smart Holding and Lanebrook Ltd, which owns Russia's Evraz Group, reduced iron ore concentrate production 0.6% year-on-year in January-February to 1.698 million tonnes. It produced 467,000 million tonnes of sinter ore, up 35.4% year-on-year.
Ukrainian iron ore production in 2M 2013, by company:
| Company | 2M 2013, tonnes | % change y-o-y (+/-) | Feb 2013, tonnes |
| POLTAVA MINING (PGOK) | |||
| Iron ore pellets | 1,611,000 | +7.5 | 730,000 |
| Iron ore concentrate | 2,004,000 | +7.6 | 924,000 |
| NORTHERN MINING (SEVERNY GOK) | |||
| Iron ore pellets | 1,431,000 | -21.8 | 813,000 |
| Iron ore concentrate | 2,421,000 | -1.6 | 1,149,000 |
| CENTRAL MINING (TSENTRALNY GOK) | |||
| Commercial pellets | 401,000 | -1.2 | 190,000 |
| Iron ore concentrate | 1,136,000 | -1.6 | 552,000 |
| INHULETS MINING (INGOK) | |||
| Commercial iron ore concentrate | 2,227,000 | -2.4 | 1,056,000 |
| SOUTHERN MINING (YUZHNY GOK) | |||
| Sinter | 467,000 | +35.4 | 220,000 |
| Iron ore concentrate | 1,698,000 | -0.6 | 806,000 |
| EVRAZ SUHA BALKA | |||
| Sinter ore | 415,000 | -13.9 | 252,000 |
| ZAPORIZHIYA MINING | |||
| Sinter ore | 761,000 | -0.8 | 371,000 |
| Kriviy Rih Mining | |||
| Commercial iron ore | 966,000 | +20.8 | 460,000 |
Source: companies
Ukraine produced 13.331 million tonnes of crude ore in January-February, 2% more than in the first two months of 2012, the Metallurgprom association has said. Iron ore concentrate production grew 2% to 11.055 million tonnes and sinter - 3% to 7.142 million tonnes. Pellet output plummeted 9% to 3.41 million tonnes.
