ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih confirms plans to boost coking coal imports 70% in mid-term

At a metallurgy conference in Kyiv yesterday, ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih (KSTL: BUY) General Director Jean Jouet confirmed plans to increase imports of coking coal in the mid-term to over 2 mln mt (+70% to current rate). Jouet said that ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih is considering two joint projects with the Industrial Union of Donbas: construction of seaports and a consortium to participate in the privatization of the Kryviy Rih Oxidized Iron Ore Plant (KGOKOR). According to Jouet, the company also plans to lift production: extraction of iron ore and iron ore concentrate to 30 mln mt and 13 mln mt, respectively, by 2009; production of crude steel to 12 mln mt by 2012, and to enter the flat steel market by 2012. ArcelorMittal is also targetting self sufficiency in iron ore for all its subsidiaries, and further growth in extraction of iron ore in Ukraine, Liberia, Senegal and Mauritania.