UMP OJSC (Kazakhstan) has won tender, which was conducted by US defense logistics agency, for sale of tantalum-niobium concentrates

/IRBIS, July 21, 03/ - NAC Kazatomprom CJSC (Almaty), whose bonds are circulating in Kazakhstan stock exchange's (KASE) official "А" listing category, distributed press-release today, which said that its daughter company - Ulbinskiy metallurgical plant OJSC (UMP OJSC) had won tender, which was conducted by the US defense logistics agency (DLA), for sale of tantalum- niobium concentrates. At regular intervals the US government in the person of Defense logistics agency exhibits for tender the state reserves, including tantalum-niobium concentrates. According to the spread press-release total volume of sold concentrates equaled to 450,000 pounds of tantalum oxide or 370,000 pounds of metallic tantalum. The press-release says that as the result of the tender UMP OJSC has bought 40 tons (metallic tantalum) of tantalum-niobium concentrates at $US19 per pound of tantalum oxide. Participation in the tender let the company not just state about itself on the state level of the USA, but also buy tantalum raw stuff at the price, which was lower than market one and provide tantalum production of UMP OJSC with the stable source of raw stuff for long-term outlook. Tantalum production of UMP OJSC is a large enterprise, which comprises a workshop for hydrofluoric acid production, workshop for chemical-metallurgical disclosure of tantalum and niobium raw stuff, metallurgical workshop. Main directions of the company's tantalum production development are working out and mastering of technologies of high-capacity powder production, working out of technology and creation of capacities for complex processing of tantalum- niobium raw stuff, development of production of full range of niobium production. [2003-07-21]