The Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) has announced its production and sales data for the fourth quarter ended on December 31, 2011 and the full year 2011. According to the company statement, NLMK's crude steel output in the fourth quarter increased to 3.2 million mt, up 9.6 percent compared to the previous quarter. In 2011, the crude steel output of the company reached 12 million mt, up 3.6 percent year on year.
At the main production site in Lipetsk, crude steel output increased by 12 percent quarter on quarter to 2.7 million mt in the fourth quarter, due to stable demand and higher utilization rates at the new blast furnace.
The total sales volume of steel products of NLMK Group in the fourth quarter is reported to be 3.6 million mt, up 18.5 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In the fourth quarter, NLMK saw the total sales volume of steel products at its main site at Lipetsk increase to 2.61 million mt, up 3.9 percent year on year.
For the full year, NLMK Group's total sales volume of steel products increased to 12.8 million mt, up 9.6 percent year on year, while the total sales volume of steel products at its main site at Lipetsk reached 9.8 million mt, increasing by 5.5 percent compared to 2010.
NLMK also stated that its steel output growth estimate for the first quarter of 2012 is 15 percent, mostly driven by planned increase in utilization rates at Novolipetsk's new steelmaking capacities, as well as the completion of electric arc furnace repairs at NLMK's long products division.