Evraz raises output in Q2 2006

Evraz Group, one of the leading vertically integrated steel production and mining businesses in Russia, released its production results for the second quarter of 2006. As far as the steel division of the company is concerned, Evraz's output of pig iron rose 13.4 percent, that of crude steel rose 20 percent, and that of rolled steel products rose 26 percent year on year to 3.31 million tons, to 4.16 million tons and to 3.72 million tons respectively in the second quarter of 2006. In mining division, Evraz's production of concentrate decreased 12.2 percent, that of sinter decreased 3.2 percent, but that of pellets rose 15.9 percent year on year to 585,000 tons, to 2.25 million tons and to 1.48 million tons in the second quarter of 2006. In addition, during April-June of 2006, the company mined 194,000 tons of coking coal, up 24.5 percent from the same period of last year.