The Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) has issued 2007 production results for itself and its subsidiaries.
Accordingly, in 2007 NLMK produced 9.056 million metric tons of pig iron - down 0.1 percent, 9,056 million metric tons of crude steel - up 0.8 percent, 3.724 million metric tons of slabs - down 3.7 percent, 1.792 million metric tons of hot rolled products (including HRC supplied to VIZ-Stal) - up 10.2 percent, 1.625 million metric tons of cold rolled products - down 7.2 percent, 476,000 metric tons of HDG - up 10.7 percent, 344,000 metric tons of pre-painted steel - up one percent, 376,000 metric tons of non-grain-oriented steel - up 9.8 percent, and 139,000 metric tons of grain-oriented steel - down 2.1 percent, all compared to 2006.
During the year in question, NLMK's Danish subsidiary DanSteel A/S increased its heavy plate production by 11.6 percent year on year to 522,000 metric tons.
VIZ-Stal registered a 4.9 percent increase in its non-grain-oriented steel output and a 17.5 percent increase in its grain-oriented steel output year on year, rising to 189,000 metric tons and to 19,000 metric tons respectively in 2007.
NLMK's iron ore subsidiary Stoilensky GOK showed a 2.8 percent increase in its iron ore concentrate production and a 26.6 percent increase in its sinter ore output year on year in 2007. The respective figures in metric tons were 11.622 million and 1.743 million.
Finally, during the period in question Altai-koks produced 3.792 million metric tons of coke (moisture 6 percent), showing a 28.1 percent year on year increase.
Commenting on the 2007 results and on the outlook for 2008, NLMK stated, "In general, NLMK's main production site and major subsidiaries successfully realized production targets in 2007. Meanwhile, growing steel prices, as well as changes in the product mix towards products which are in greater demand and provide higher earnings per ton of sales, positively impacted overall company profitability. We note the growth of steel prices at the beginning of 2008 caused by the increase in basic raw materials prices. We expect steel prices to rise during the first half of the year followed by mid-year flattening."