Russian steel mill Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) has announced that it plans to reach the 2.5 million mt designed output capacity at its Sosnovsky iron ore mine, located in Russia's Chelyabinsk region, as early as 2012, and not in 2013 as initially projected.
In Q4, MMK plans to complete the construction at the mine of a new beneficiation complex, supplied by engineering and technology company Metso Minerals, which will allow additional deliveries of high quality raw material to MMK. In addition, MMK is also to further develop the deposit's infrastructure.
According to MMK's statement, in 2010 the Sosnovsky mine is expected to mine and produce 600,000 mt of sintered ore (with 51 percent Fe content), 390,000 mt of middlings (with 42 percent Fe content), and 150,000 mt of low grade ore (with 31.6 percent Fe content).
The mining operations at the Sosnovsky deposit were started in 2008, while iron ore supplies to MMK began in the summer of 2009. Since the start of operations, the mine has produced one million mt of ore, of which 700,000 mt was delivered to MMK, while 300,000 mt of low grade ore was prepared for beneficiation.
The life of the Sosnovsky iron ore mine is expected to last until 2033.