Global steelmaking and mining giant Evraz Group S.A., whose operations are mainly focused on Russia, posted a four percent year-on-year increase but a five percent quarter-on-quarter decrease in steel production for the third quarter of the current year.
In its North American division, crude steel production rose by seven percent in Q3 this year compared to the same period of the previous year on the back of higher steel capacity utilization due to improved market sentiment. However, the crude steel production of the Russian division has not shown any changes compared to the same quarter of 2010.
While rail production in the Russian division decreased on a quarterly basis, the North American division reported a 10 percent quarter-on-quarter increase in production of tubular goods, following a seasonal increase in demand.
For iron ore, Evraz Group's production in the third quarter remained flat compared to the previous quarter. Sinter production decreased by nine percent in Russia due to repair of sintering facilities at EVRAZ KGOK in the third quarter. However, fine ore production from Evraz Group's South African mines increased by 23 percent compared to the second quarter.