Russian steelmaker Severstal's mining subsidiary Vorkutaugol has announced that it will build an inclined shaft at its Vorgashorskaya mine, with construction to be completed by the end of 2013. This new shaft will expand the range of produced coking coal grades with the introduction of grade Zh. Total investment in the project will reach approximately RUB 1.5 billion ($48.6 million).
Construction of the new inclined shaft, designed by experts from the Spb-Giproshakht Design Institute, began earlier in 2013. Work on the new site’s infrastructure and transport links has already been completed and a modular boiler plant has been commissioned.
It is anticipated that the targeted coal seam will be reached as early as this autumn. The initial annual output of raw coal at the new site is expected to be around 2 million mt, but this could increase over time.