Evraz steel output down 1% in Q2
MOSCOW. July 15 (Interfax) - Russian steel major Evraz Group turned out 1.2% less steel year-on-year in the second quarter - 4.232 million tonnes in all, the company said.
Finished metal-product output was up an average of 9%, though that of semi-finished products decreased 19%, a company statement says.
The company's Russian plants were operating at full capacity. Steel-smelting in the country declined from the previous quarter by 5% due to scheduled work on blast furnace #2 at its West Siberian metals complex in April and on #1 in June, as well as an April shortage of raw material caused by the under-receipt of pellets from Mikhailovsky GOK and a seasonal shortage of scrap.
The [production of construction roll in Russia increased 12% from last year during the quarter, that of flat roll 14%.
"Raw coking coal production at Yuzhkuzbassugol decreased by 5% [to 1.756 million tonnes] against Q1 2011 as a result of temporary shutdowns at the Alardinskaya and Osinnikovskaya mines to resolve operational issues related to potential safety risks. The losses were partially offset by increased production in Q2 2011 by Abashevskaya and Yesaulskaya mines (the latter was closed for longwall repositioning in 1Q 2011)," the company reported. However, coking coal extraction increased 21.6% year-on-year.
The statement said: "EVRAZ DMZ increased production of finished steel, decreasing volumes of semi-finished goods. In particular, volumes of finished construction steel rose 22% and 10% compared to the second quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2011, respectively.
"In the second quarter of 2011, flat-rolled production increased by 14% from the first quarter of 2011 and by 32 from second quarter of 2010 due to growth in end-user demand for commodity plate, driven by improved market sentiment. In particular, the service center industry is increasing inventories to historical levels and fabricators operating in the wind tower, tank and transmission line businesses have higher demand.
"Rail production increased by11% when comparing the second quarter for 2011 to the first quarter and by 36% compared to the same quarter in 2010 as class one railroads (Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway) are expanding infrastructure and stockpiling rail for upcoming projects in 2011 and 2012. Our enhanced focus on rail quality resulted in increased share in North American market."
Evraz enterprises boosted production commercial railway materials by 12%, up 14% in Russia, driven by "debottlenecking at Evrazruda and more stable operations".
Production of finished vanadium goods (ferrovanadium - Nitrovan) increased substantially, driven by stronger demand.
Evraz main production results for Q2 and Q1 (in thousands of tonnes):
| Q2 2011 | Q2 2010 | % | Q1. 2011 | % | |
| Steel products | |||||
| Coke (saleable) | 449 | 448 | 0,2% | 425 | 5,5% |
| Pig iron | 2 929 | 3 093 | (5,3)% | 3 066 | (4,5)% |
| - pig iron (saleable) | 56 | 20 | 182,1% | 22 | 159,4% |
| Crude Steel | 4 232 | 4 282 | (1,2)% | 4 388 | (3,6)% |
| Rolled products | 3 888 | 3 825 | 1,7% | 3 974 | (2,2)% |
| - semi-finished | 846 | 1 045 | (19,0)% | 1 048 | (19,2)% |
| - construction products | 1 300 | 1 210 | 7,4% | 1 274 | 2,1% |
| - railway products | 549 | 525 | 4,7% | 502 | 9,3% |
| - flat rolled products | 769 | 656 | 17,1% | 720 | 6,8% |
| - tubular products | 219 | 216 | 1,6% | 199 | 10,1% |
| - other steel products | 204 | 173 | 18,5% | 232 | (11,8)% |
| Russia : | |||||
| Coke (saleable) | 144 | 158 | (8,4)% | 140 | 3,0% |
| Pig iron | 2 539 | 2 688 | (5,6)% | 2 654 | (4,3)% |
| - pig iron (saleable) | 15 | 16 | (7,5)% | 15 | 1,8% |
| Crude Steel | 3 026 | 3 117 | (2,9)% | 3 187 | (5,0)% |
| Rolled products | 2 720 | 2 855 | (4,7)% | 2 858 | (4,8)% |
| - semi-finished | 1 027 | 1 281 | (19,9)% | 1 231 | (16,6)% |
| - construction products | 1 034 | 923 | 12,0% | 1 003 | 3,1% |
| - railway products | 421 | 430 | (2,2)% | 387 | 8,8% |
| - flat rolled products | 81 | 71 | 13,6% | 75 | 7,8% |
| - other steel products | 158 | 149 | 6,4% | 162 | (2,7)% |
| Ukraine : | |||||
| Coke (saleable) | 304 | 291 | 4,8% | 285 | 6,8% |
| Pig iron | 232 | 231 | 0,4% | 220 | 5,4% |
| - pig iron (saleable) | 41 | 4 | n/a | 7 | n/a |
| Crude Steel | 203 | 238 | (14,7)% | 230 | (11,8)% |
| Rolled products | 169 | 213 | (20,6)% | 204 | (17,3)% |
| - semi-finished | 28 | 109 | (73,8)% | 74 | (61,6)% |
| - construction products | 115 | 95 | 22,1% | 105 | 10,1% |
| - other steel products | 25 | 10 | 161,5% | 25 | (1,3)% |
| Europe: | |||||
| Crude Steel | 220 | 165 | 33,5% | 182 | 21,1% |
| Rolled products | 343 | 330 | 3,8% | 369 | (7,1)% |
| - semi-finished | 35 | 49 | (29,3)% | 32 | 9,9% |
| - flat rolled products | 303 | 274 | 10,4% | 302 | 0,2% |
| - other steel products | 6 | 7 | (20,7)% | 36 | (84,0)% |
| North America: | |||||
| Crude Steel | 609 | 585 | 4,0% | 588 | 3,5% |
| Rolled products | 716 | 630 | 13,6% | 658 | 8,8% |
| - construction products | 69 | 94 | (26,7)% | 80 | (13,5)% |
| - railway products | 129 | 94 | 36,3% | 116 | 11,1% |
| - flat rolled products | 299 | 226 | 32,4% | 264 | 13,5% |
| - other steel products | 219 | 216 | 1,6% | 199 | 10,1% |
| South Africa : | |||||
| Pig Iron | 158 | 174 | (8,9)% | 192 | (17,7)% |
| Crude Steel | 173 | 176 | (1,6)% | 201 | (13,8)% |
| Rolled products | 159 | 141 | 12,6% | 157 | 1,1% |
| - semi-finished | 11 | 0 | n/a | 17 | (32,2)% |
| - construction products | 47 | 49 | (4,7)% | 54 | (13,1)% |
| - flat rolled products | 85 | 85 | 0,5% | 79 | 8,7% |
| - other steel products | 16 | 7 | 115,2% | 8 | 93,3% |
| Mining products | |||||
| Iron ore: | |||||
| - Lumpy ore (Ukraine) | 743 | 242 | 206,8% | 345 | 115,5% |
| - Concentrate, saleable (Russia) | 1 675 | 1 471 | 13,9% | 1 466 | 14,3% |
| - sinter (Russia) | 1 108 | 1 114 | (0,5)% | 1 121 | (1,2)% |
| - pellets (Russia) | 1 421 | 1 369 | 3,8% | 1 516 | (6,3)% |
| - fines ore (South Africa) | 151 | 147 | 3,0% | 152 | (1,0)% |
| - lumpy ore (South Africa) | 298 | 445 | (32,9)% | 359 | (17,0)% |
| Coal |