OREANDA-NEWS. October 22, 2012. Acron Group’s Consolidated Output (Operating Results for Acron, Dorogobuzh and Hongri Acron)

Product, ‘000 t

9M 2012

9M 2011

YOY

CHEMICAL PRODUCTS

Ammonia

1,339.8

1,306.3

3

Incl. own use

1,223.1

1,163.4

Nitrogen fertilisers

1,992.9

1,793.1

11

Incl. own use

298.3

244.4

Ammonium nitrate

1,054.6

1,068.4

-1

Incl. own use

56.0

44.1

Urea

432.2

337.7

28

Incl. own use

242.3

200.3

Urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN)

506.1

387.0

31

Complex fertilisers

1,921.3

1,949.4

-1

Incl. own use

21.6

20.0

NPK

1,692.4

1,732.4

-2

Incl. own use

21.6

20.0

Bulk blends

228.9

217.0

6

Organic compounds

295.5

297.2

-1

Incl. own use

149.0

154.7

Methanol

59.7

58.9

1

Incl. own use

54.7

54.6

Formalin

106.3

108.1

-2

Incl. own use

93.6

99.5

Urea-formaldehyde resins (UFR)

129.5

130.2

-1

Non-organic compounds

574.9

602.9

-5

Low-density and technical-grade ammonium nitrate

182.7

167.0

9

Calcium carbonate

234.8

277.1

-15

Liquid carbon dioxide

41.6

41.8

-1

Argon

5.3

5.3

-

Hydrochloric acid

110.5

111.7

-1

TOTAL OUTPUT (output less own consumption)

4,432.4

4,366.4

2

PHOSPHATES

Apatite nepheline ore (sales)

144

-

growth

Chair of Acron’s Board of Directors Alexander Popov commented on the Group’s results:

Over the first nine months of 2012, commercial output at Acron Group’s production facilities was 4.4 million tonnes, up 2% year-on-year.

It should be noted that the Group’s output was affected by upgrades of key Dorogobuzh units in the third quarter of 2012 (primarily a scheduled overhaul of the ammonia unit) and the forced suspension of NPK production at the Group’s Russian production facilities in the middle of the year due to a lack of phosphate raw materials). In October 2012, a series of overhauls will be continued at the main Acron (Veliky Novgorod) units.

The Group has offset lower output at Dorogobuzh by producing nitrogen products at Acron (Veliky Novgorod). This was made possible by the commissioning of a new urea unit and the continuous, stable operation of the ammonia unit. The increase in complex fertiliser production at Hongri Acron (China) further mitigated the effects of reduced NPK production at the Group’s Russian facilities.

I also want to mention the start of production at North-Western Phosphorous Company (NWPC), Acron Group’s first raw material facility. In the reporting period, the Company started extracting and selling apatite-nepheline ore. In the third quarter of 2012, NWPC sold 144,000 tonnes of ore. It is expected that production of commercial apatite concentrate will commence in the fourth quarter of 2012.
The global market remained stable in the third quarter of 2012. High prices on agricultural products and a delay in commissioning major production operations in North Africa and the Middle East have positively affected global fertiliser prices. Moreover, demand from key consumer countries continues to grow.

Average World Prices, USD/tonne *

Q1 2012

Q2 2012

Q3 2012

9M 2012

9M 2011

NPK 16-16-16

451

459

452

454

441

AN

310

331

276

306

315

UAN

265

295

294

285

306

Urea

381

465

377

408

410

* Indicative FOB Baltic/Black Sea