ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih, Ukraine-based subsidiary of the world's largest integrated metals and mining company ArcelorMittal, has issued its preliminary production results for 2008.
In 2008, ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih produced 5.406 million mt of finished steel - down 23.9 percent, 6.233 million mt of crude steel - down 23.1 percent, 5.632 million mt of pig iron - down 21.9 percent, and 9.619 million mt of agglomerate - down 19.7 percent, all compared to 2007.
Moreover, during the period in question the company registered a 12.5 percent decrease in its coke production to 2.635 million mt, an 8.2 percent fall in its iron ore concentrate output to 7.782 million mt, and a 19.2 percent decrease in its iron ore output to 1.599 million mt.
After the sharp autumn production cuts, in December ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih increased its finished steel output by 10.6 percent to 312,000 mt, upped its crude steel production by 24.8 percent to 267,000 mt, its pig iron production by 31 percent to 249,000 mt, and its agglomerate production by 35.3 percent to 517,000 mt, all compared to the data for November.
Also in December, ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih did not make any scrap purchases, although its calculated monthly needs amounted to 20,000 mt. On January 1, 2009, the company's reserves of scrap amounted to 30,400 mt.
In 2008, Severniy GOK (SevGOK), an iron ore producing subsidiary of the Ukrainian mining and metals business group Metinvest, supplied 682,300 mt of pellets to ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih, 23.9 percent less than its supply target for the year, as in November and December deliveries were stopped.