ArcelorMittal Krivoi Rog resumes mining, processing iron ore

MOSCOW. Oct 19 (Interfax) - The Krivoi Rog mining and metallurgical complex of ArcelorMittal Krivoi Rog (AMKR), Ukraine's largest rolled steel producer, is resuming mining and processing of iron ore.

"After a temporary shutdown, the mining department is resuming operations. One of the enterprise's two mines and two plants - crushing and concentration - are already working again," the company said.

AMKR recalled that it initially planned to shut down production on August 1 for three months, but the complex resumed operations early because in September the company managed to export an additional 50,000 tonnes of iron ore concentrate to Poland.

The relaunch of another mine, and crushing and concentration facilities depends on concentrate consumption by AMKR's steelmaking division and export capabilities.

AMKR said that ore mining did not stop in the period from the start of the year to August, and the timely pivot to exporting concentrate "helped keep the whole combine afloat." However, demand for concentrate and steel products on European markets decreased in the summer, while traditional markets are still inaccessible to AMKR and logistics costs quintupled. All this led to the suspension of mining operations.

"During the forced pause in the mining and processing complex's operations, our miners carried out a large amount of repairs and cleaning that cannot be done while equipment is running. They also continued to carry out a key investment project to ensure future ore mining - they transported overburden and unused rock from the mines for the construction of a new tailings dump," the deputy general director for production in AMKR's mining department, Vladimir Teslyuk was quoted as saying in the press release.