Ilyich buys coking coal mine

The Ukrainian steelmaker Ilyich Iron and Steel Works of Mariupol (Ilyich) has acquired Mezhinskaya mine, which is located in the Lugansk region of Ukraine. Market experts believe that the mine, which has a large reserve of coking coal with low sulfur content, has a good potential but requires at least $15-20 million in investments. It is expected that after modernization the mine's coking coal daily production capacity will increase from the current 500 metric tons to 1,000 metric tons. The acquisition of the Mezhinskaya mine moves Ilyich closer to being self-sufficient in coking coal.