OREANDA-NEWS. November 10, 2010. Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) Hired Hatch Engineering and Consulting in Russia to pre-project the development of Prioskolskoye iron ores field.

Under the contract, Hatch Engineering and Consulting, Russian division of the Canadian Hatch Company, will develop and deliver to MMK the set of documents complete with the final results of accomplished work. Hatch will hold a number of comparative probes and surveys to identify a most efficient method of Prioskolskoye field development. The company has committed to provide a solution that will ensure minimized land allotment costs, eliminate environmental risks and optimize MMK’s capital- and operating costs. The contractor will be responsible for drafting engineering documentation up to the phase of receiving a construction permit. Hatch will have six months following the effective date of the contract to accomplish the job.

As the winner in an auction held in 2006, MMK has the license to explore and develop Prioskolskoye iron ores deposit located in Russia’s Belgorod Region. The field’s reserves are estimated at over 2 bn tons. The mining plant’s planned capacity of up to 25 mtpy will cover MMK’s needs in iron-ore raw materials for 60 years and more.