MMK Illicha Steel Seeking More Coke?

Yesterday MMK Illicha Steel (MMKI: U/R) Spokesman Serhiy Magera said that a coke shortage has forced the company to stop some of its five blast furnaces. The company stopped blast furnace #2 on September 3. The company had previously stopped blast furnaces #3 and #4, but has since restarted them. Eugene Cherviachenko: We believe that the company does not have difficulties with coke supplies that would have made the company stop its blast furnaces. At the beginning of the year, the company agreed on coke deliveries with Avdiyivka Coke, Yasynivsky Coke, Donetsk Coke and Altai Coke (Russia) for about 3 mln mt, enough to nearly satisfy their yearly demand. We believe that the true reason for stopping the blast furnaces were scheduled preventive repairs on these furnaces.