In the third quarter of the current year, the crude steel production of Russian steelmaker MMK Group totaled 3.357 million mt, up two percent compared to the second quarter of this year, while crude steel output in the January-September period amounted to 10.068 million mt, up 11 percent year on year, as announced by the steel producer.
MMK Group’s finished steel product output in the third quarter totalled 3.072 million mt, up 0.3 percent quarter on quarter, while its finished steel output in January-September amounted to 9.154 million mt, up 10 percent year on year.
During the given quarter, MMK's cast iron production increased by one percent to 2.571 million mt, its long product output increased by seven percent to 484,000 mt and its flat hot rolled product output decreased by two percent to 1.388 million mt - all on quarter-on-quarter basis.
Coking coal concentrate output in the first nine months of this year amounted to 2.521 million mt, up eight percent year on year. In the third quarter, coking coal concentrate output totalled 985,000 mt, up 29 percent compared to the second quarter.
According to the MMK statement, in the fourth quarter this year MMK expects its sales volumes for finished products may be influenced by a seasonal decline in business activity in the domestic market. However, the growth in demand for steel in Russia and the world in general along with the increasing production capacity of MMK Group in Turkey make it reasonable to expect higher sales volumes for MMK Group in 2012 in comparison to 2011.