OREANDA-NEWS. July 23, 2008. NLMK is pleased to announce the successful closing of a 5-year USD 1.6 billion syndicated loan facility. The facility bears an interest of a LIBOR + 1.2% p.a. The proceeds will be used to finance NLMK’s capital expenditure in line with its Technical Upgrading Programme, as well as for general corporate purposes.

BNP Paribas and Societe Generale were appointed as Co-ordinating Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners for the facility. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Deutsche Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Europe and UniCredit joined as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners, ABN AMRO and Fortis as Mandated Lead Arrangers and KBC as Senior Lead Arranger. Bayerische Landesbank, WestLB AG, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A., Banque Societe Generale Vostok, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Ireland plc, Landesbank Baden-Wьrttemberg, Lloyds TSB Bank plc, BAWAG P.S.K. Bank fur Arbeit und Wirtschaft und Osterreichische Postsparkasse Aktiengesellschaft and DZ BANK AG, Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank, Frankfurt am Main joined the Facility following a successful oversubscribed syndication. BNP Paribas is acting as the Facility Agent.

Ms. Galina Aglyamova, NLMK CFO said “We are pleased to announce successful closing of the debut NLMK syndicated loan deal. Despite difficult market conditions the transaction enjoyed wide participation of leading international banks, and, as a result, was oversubscribed and upsized. The transaction will help NLMK to efficiently finance its dynamic growth and contribute to the improvement of its capital structure”.