SSPU increased output by 16% in February of 2005

/REUTERS, Almaty, Tatyana Seroshtanova, March 3, 05/ - Sokolovsko- Sarbayskoye production unit (SSPU), major supplier of raw stuff for Magnitogorsk and Chelyabinsk steel plants in Russia, in February increased raw iron ore output by 16.3% in comparison with February of 2004 to 2.85 m. tonnes, company has informed. In February the plant refined 2.844 m. tonnes of raw ore that was more by 15.9% than in the same period of last year. Fabrichnyi complex has increased ore refining in January-February by 15.6% to 6.4 m. tonnes. Since the beginning of the year company produced 2.5 m. tonnes of commercial iron ore goods, including iron ore fluxed pellets - 1.5 m. This is more by 15.3% than in similar period of 2004. "Besides, company increased ready goods shipment to consumers... For the past two months it has equaled to 1.837 m. tonnes - it's more by 3.1% than in similar period of 2004", - the press-release says. SSPU deals with extraction and manufacturing of magnetite ores, commercial dolomite, fluxed limestone, speckled clay, haydite clay and building stone. Main consumers of SSPU's production are Magnitka and Chelyabinsk metallurgical plant (which is among the Steel group Mechel), Kazakhstan Mittal Steel Temirtau JSC and China. [2005-03-04]