Evraz posts increase in steel production

Russian Evraz Group SA disclosed that the company's steel production rose in the first quarter of 2006, but mining output declined. In steel front, pig iron production rose 1.3 percent year on year to 3.1 million metric tons in the first quarter while crude steel production increased 8.5 percent to 3.8 million metric tons. In addition, production of rolled products jumped 11.6 percent to 3.4 million metric tons. However, in the mining front, iron ore output indicated a decline. Concentrate production fell 20 percent to 499,000 metric tons, sinter output decreased 11.4 percent to 2.04 million metric tons and pellet production dropped 0.2 percent to 1.47 million metric tons.