/REUTERS, Almaty, May 19, 03/ - In January-April of 2003 the largest producer of iron ore raw stuff in Kazakhstan - Sokolovsko-Sarbaiskoye ore mining and processing amalgamation (SSOMPA) - increased commercial ore production by 19.7% to 4.833 m. tons from 4.036 m. tons within similar period of 2002, information center of SSOMPA informed.

In April of 2003 the company produced 1.316 m. tons of commercial ore in comparison with 1.123 m. tons in April of last year.

The message says that volume of commercial ore unloading for consumers increased in April by 26% to 1.203 m. tons in comparison with 955,000 tons in April of last year.

"As the whole since January till April of 2003, there were sent 4.646 m. tons of commercial ore to consumers. Unloading, in comparison with the same period of last year, increased by 27.4%", - the company's information center informs.

Major consumers of production are Russian enterprises, the biggest of which is Magnitogorskiy metallurgical combine, and also China.

Below is some data about SSOMPA's activity (million tons):

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             April of  April of       January-       January-
                                 2003      2002  April of 2003  April of 2002
---------------------------  --------  --------  -------------  -------------
Commercial ore                  1,316     1,123          4,833          4,036
Rel. to previous year, as %     +17.2       n/d          +19,7            n/d
---------------------------  --------  --------  -------------  -------------
Extraction of raw ore           2,958     2,375         11,067          8,960
Rel. to previous year, as %     +24.5       n/d          -23.5            n/d
---------------------------  --------  --------  -------------  -------------
Raw ore processing              2,958     2,385         11,092          8,987
Rel. to previous year, as %     +24.0       n/d          +23.4            n/d
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

In 2003 the company intends to increase commercial ore production up to 14.6 m. tons from 13.1 m. tons in 2002. SSOMPA is in situated in Rudniy city in Kostanai oblast in the north of the country and is among the group of companies, which are controlled by Eurasian industrial association.

[2003-05-19]