The Russian steel producer Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) has released its production results for the first five months of 2007.
During the given period, the mill recorded a 9.7 percent increase in its crude steel production to 5.373 million metric tons, an 8.6 percent increase in its finished steel products output to 5.206 million metric tons. However, MMK saw a 9.3 percent decrease in its agglomerate production, a 4.9 percent decrease in its pig iron production, and a 5.9 percent decrease in its coke production year on year to 4.143 million metric tons, 3.9 million metric tons and to 2.2 million metric tons respectively. In the January-May 2007 period, in line with the company's targets, MMK continued to decrease the share occupied by export deliveries in its sales, with a decline to 37 percent recorded.
In May alone, MMK produced 775,900 metric tons of agglomerate, 433,500 metric tons of coke, 753,900 metric tons of pig iron, 1.08 million metric tons of crude steel and 1.062 million metric tons of finished steel products.
Commenting on the decrease in MMK's production of coke, agglomerate and pig iron production during the period in question, the company's spokesperson Elena Azovtseva stated that the reduction in the production of these materials occurred due to reconstruction works carried out at its blast furnaces and due to a change in the composition of charge (the share of metallurgical scrap having been increased).