OREANDA-NEWS. February 01, 2011. Vice-president for finance and economy Oleg Fedonin said: “MMК has retained the leading position in Russia in terms of rolled steel output. We estimate our share in the domestic rolled steel production in 2010 at 17%. The overall growth of MMK finished steel output in 2010 amounted to 17% compared to 2009, while domestic sales growth amounted to 44% exceeding the consumption growth rate in Russia. This was to a large extent possible due to our focus on new highly marginal product types to meet the demand of the domestic market, including import replacement. We are optimistic about the growth of steel consumption in Russia in 2011 and plan to increase our production volumes in Russia to 12 mln tonnes this year”.  

Steel segment

MMK

Production, th. tonnes

Production

Q4‘10

Q3‘10

%

12m'10

12m‘09

%

Cast iron

2,363

2,315

2%

9,234

8,163

13%

Crude steel

2,765

2,938

-6%

11,419

9,618

19%

Finished products output, incl.:

2,508

2,661

-6%

10,245

8,764

17%

Slabs and billets

11

83

-87%

209

3

-

Long products

315

336

-6%

1,065

1,004

6%

Flat hot-rolled products

1,246

1,367

-9%

5,524

5,356

3%

High value-added (HVA) products, incl.:

936

874

7%

3,448

2,401

44%

Thick plate (mill 5000)

294

245

20%

943

159

493%

Flat cold-rolled products

284

280

1%

1,116

1,089

3%

Downstream products, incl.:

358

349

3%

1,388

1,154

20%

Tin plate

42

41

3%

208

212

-2%

Galvanised steel

166

153

9%

597

491

22%

Colour-coated steel

46

67

-32%

203

207

-2%

Band

26

30

-13%

116

106

9%

Formed section

52

38

38%

187

80

135%

Pipes

25

20

24%

75

58

30%

Shipments by market:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic shipments

1,932

1,835

5%

7,044

4,903

44%

Export shipments

576

826

-30%

3,201

3,861

-17%

Average prices, USD

 

Q4‘10

Q3‘10

%

12m'10

12m‘09

%

Average price per ton:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slabs and billets

435

410

6%

452

402

12%

Long products

601

619

-3%

595

452

32%

Flat hot-rolled products

571

531

8%

535

401

34%

High value-added (HVA) products, incl.:

812

815

0%

793

645

23%

Thick plate (mill 5000)

913

887

3%

869

762

14%

Flat cold-rolled products

640

639

0%

621

464

34%

Downstream products, incl.:

864

906

-5%

882

801

10%

Tin plate

975

964

1%

960

935

3%

Galvanised steel

831

853

-3%

841

732

15%

Colour-coated steel

1 , 097

1 , 179

-7%

1 , 190

1 , 036

15%

Band

811

811

0%

778

626

24%

Formed section

779

768

2%

735

671

10%

Pipes

708

674

5%

671

543

24%

  Average price per ton, incl.:

664

632

5%

627

474

32%

Domestic sales*

705

701

1%

686

543

26%

Export sales

528

478

10%

497

385

29%

*- including shipments to CIS

Finished steel products output in 2010 rose by 17% y-on-y and amounted to 10,245 th. tonnes. The growth was driven by recovery of the global and Russian economy, as well as mastering of new product types at MMK.

Steel products output volumes grew by 1,481 th. tonnes y-on-y, of which 1,047 th. tonnes was built up by HVA products.

HVA products output in 2010 amounted to 3,448 th. tonnes, which translates into 44% growth y-on-y.

Q4 2010 finished products output amounted to 2,508 th. tonnes, which is 6% lower than in Q3 2010. It was construction steel types which were affected by the seasonal slowdown of activity in the sector.

Long steel output in 12 months 2010 grew y-on-y thanks to recovery of the construction industry and increased production volumes on MMK-Metiz, which uses MMK long steel to produce its hardware products.

Hot-rolled steel products were replaced in the production portfolio by HVA products which lead to slower growth pace of the former in 2010.

Commercial heavy plate output at Mill 5000 amounted to 943 th. tonnes in 2010. The y-on-y growth is driven by Mill 5000 operating at full capacity, as well as Russian pipe-makers (e.g. ChTPZ) starting new LDP making facilities.

Flat cold-rolled products and cold-rolled band output volumes in 12 months 2010 grew by 3% and 9% y-on-y respectively due to recovery of the Russian automotive industry and increase of MMK share in this market segment.

Galvanised steel output growth in 2010 is attributable to the construction sector recovery.

Formed section production in 2010 rose by 2.4 times y-on-y due to significant growth of demand from railroad carriage works, which implement the programme of the railroad cars fleet renewal.

MMK continued to increase domestic sales due to growing demand from main steel consuming sectors of the Russian economy. Domestic sales in 2010 grew by 44% y-on-y (from 4,903 th. tonnes in 2009 to 7,044 th. tonnes in 2010), exceeding domestic consumption growth rate. The company managed to reach these results thanks to import replacement strategy as MMK masters unique steel products types in demand in the domestic market.

The share of domestic shipments in Q4 2010 rose by 8% q-on-q and amounted to 77%. 

The domestic shipments share in 2010 amounted to 69% which is 13% higher y-on-y. This is the record level for the company.

Q4 2010 average realized price per ton of steel products amounted to USD 664, which is 5% higher q-on-q. The average realized price for 2010 rose by 32% y-on-y (from USD 474 to USD 627) thanks to growing demand for MMK steel products and increasing share of HVA products in the production portfolio.

Domestic shipments growth corresponds to MMK strategy of increasing presence in the markets which offer price premium. MMK average domestic price per ton of steel products equals to USD 686 and exceeds the average export price, which is USD 497 per ton, by USD 189.

MMK-Metiz

Production, th. tonnes

Production

Q4‘10

Q3‘10

%

12m'10

12m‘09

%

Finished steel products, incl.:

120

126

-5%

450

309

46%

Products from MMK steel

118

124

-5%

442

306

44%

MMK-Metiz is a leading hardware producer in Russia. The company specialises in production of wires, railroad and construction fastening, calibrated steel products, cold-rolled band, bimetal steel products, welded meshes and nettings, steel ropes, electrodes for welding, etc.

MMK-Metiz finished steel products output amounted to 450 th. tonnes in 2010 which is 46% higher y-on-y. The growth is driven by recovery of demand of major hardware consuming industries (construction, steelmaking, car-making).

MMK-Atakas

Production, th. tonnes

Production

Q4‘10

Q3‘10

%

12m'10

12m'10

%

Finished steel products, incl.:

45

54

-17%

156

33

373%

Finished steel products output at MMK-Atakas in 2010 amounted to 156 th. tonnes. Last year saw commissioning and ramping up of major production facilities.

Mining segment

COAL

Belon

Production, th. tonnes

Production

Q4‘10

Q3‘10

%

12m'10

12m'10

%

Coking coal

1 319

822

61%

4 644

4 056

15%

Mined

1 181

747

58%

4 207

3 632

16%

Purchased

138

75

84%

437

424

3%

Coking coal concentrate

842

525

60%

2 960

2 460

20%

Steam coal

720

628

15%

3 201

2 435

32%

Mined

720

628

15%

3 201

2 432

32%

Purchased

0

0

-

0

3

-

Steam coal concentrate

549

529

4%

2 491

2 019

23%

Productions of coking coal concentrate amounted to 842 th. tonnes in Q4 2010 which is 60% higher q-on-q.  Overall productions of coking coal concentrate amounted to 2,960 th. tonnes in 2010 which is 20% higher compared to 2009.

Production of steam coal concentrate amounted to 549 th. tonnes in Q4 2010 which is 4% higher q-on-q. 

At present Belon is one of the key suppliers of Zh-grade coals in the Russian market. The company increased its share in the Russian market in 2010 to 10% from 8% in 2009. MMK intends to complete sale of the steam coal production business at Belon within the strategy of MMK to dispose of non-core assets.

IRON ORE

Production, th. tonnes

Production

Q4‘10

Q3‘10

%

12m'10

12m'10

%

Iron ore (consumed at MMK), incl.:

1 218

1 177

3%

4 680

3 982

18%

        MMK iron ore base at Bakal

344

353

-3%

1 421

688

107%

        MMK iron ore base in Magnitogorsk

372

354

5%

1 491

1 441

4%

        Slag processing

501

470

7%

1 767

1 854

-5%

Supplies of captive iron ore from MMK subsidiary Bakal amounted to 1,421 th. tonnes in 2010, which is 107% higher y-on-y.

Production of iron ore at MMK base in Magnitogorsk grew to 1,491 th. tonnes which is 4% higher y-on-y.

According to the programme designed to expand MMK captive iron ore mining base, it is planned to increase crude ore output by 20% by 2013 thanks to continued development of the existing mines in Magnitogorsk.

MMK continues increasing production at Bakal (Sosnovsky iron ore field in particular) and expand processing of tailings. The year 2010 saw revamping of slag processing facility Amcom-1 and commissioning of Amcom-3, which will allow to boost processing of tailings in 2011. Overall annual production at the three facilities in operation will be around 1 mln tonnes of iron ore products.

MMK also develops captive iron ore processing facilities. Currently a programme is being implemented which is designed to increase sintering plant capacity by 3% in 2011.

Developments at MMK key investment projects

Mill 5000

Mill 5000 is one of the key investment projects of MMK contributing to increase of HVA products share in MMK production portfolio and to growth of the company’s presence in the domestic market in Russia. In 2010 Mill 5000 reached full capacity and currently runs at 100% utilization rate.

Mill 2000

MMK continues construction of its new cold rolling complex (Mill 2000) in order to benefit from the growing market of high-strength steel types. The complex will use state-of-the-art technologies to produce high quality cold-rolled and galvanised steel products for inner and outer car-body parts as well as for use in white-goods production and in construction industry. Mill 2000 will produce 2 mln tons of finished steel products per year, including 700 th. tonnes of galvanised steel.

Cold rolling mill and pickling line will be commissioned in the middle of 2011, while full-cycle production at the facility will be commissioned by mid-2012. Construction and engineering works are advancing in line with the schedule and currently employ 2,200 specialists. At the moment construction of the shop is 90% complete, 90% of equipment is brought to the construction site.

MMK-Atakas

In order to strengthen the footprint in the Middle East market MMK completes construction of MMK-Atakas steel-making complex in Turkey.

February 2010 saw commissioning of the colour-coating line, April 2010 – hot-dip galvanising line. At the same time captive sea port of MMK-Atakas in Iskenderun, the biggest private sea port in Turkey, started its operation. Construction works were completed at the cold rolling shop, scrap yard, water preparation shop and power station. In October 2010 MMK-Atakas commissioned the cold-rolling mill. It is planned that all the production facilities of MMK-Atakas complex in Iskenderun and in Istanbul be commissioned in 2011.

Outlook

MMK intends to increase crude steel and finished steel output in 2011 compared to 2010 by 14% and 17% accordingly. Such growth is driven by strong demand for MMK products from major steel consuming sectors in Russia. Overall steel consumption in Russia is expected to grow at least at 10% in 2011 y-on-y.

MMK Group Q4 and 12 months 2010 results under IFRS will be published in April 2011.