A rise in hot metal output in Q4 2014 caused an increase in merchant pig iron production of 114,000 tons QoQ.
Output of merchant pig iron increased by 318,000 tons YoY in 2014, mainly due to a rise of 278,000 tons at Mariupol Ilyich Iron and Steel Works. Driving the overall increase was the rise in hot metal output in H1 2014 and the reallocation of hot metal to produce merchant pig iron, amid greater sales in the US, Europe and the Middle East and North Africa.
Output of semi-finished merchant products grew by 204,000 tons QoQ in Q4 2014 due to a recovery in hot metal and steel smelting. The restoration of production at Yenakievo Iron and Steel Works in Q4 2014 caused an increase in square billet output of 75,000 tons (up by 147%). Overall slab output grew by 129,000 tons (by 48%), driven by greater production at Mariupol Ilyich Iron and Steel Works and Azovstal.
In 2014 output of semi-finished products decreased by 236,000 tons YoY. The volume of slab fell by 137 thousand tons and square billets – by 99,000 tons, as output fell in H2 2014 due to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Output of finished products decreased by 118,000 tons QoQ in Q4 2014, due to the reallocation of steel to produce semi-finished products.
At the same time, the output of tubular products increased by 32,000 tons QoQ in Q4 2014. Driving this was a rise in output of large diameter pipes (36,000 tons), as operations at Khartsyzsk Pipe Works resumed following a complete shutdown on 15 August 2014 amid the conflict.
Output of finished products fell by 2,254,000 tons YoY in 2014 due to a slump in H2 2014 with a start of recovery only in the end of 2014. Flat product output shrank by 1,215,000 tons, as production of plate decreased at Azovstal (194,000 tons) and Ilyich (501,000 tons) and that of coil fell at Ilyich (575,000 tons), while production at the European assets increased by 55,000 tons.
Long product output declined by 827,000 tons due to decreases in production at Azovstal and Yenakievo in H2 2014 and a major overhaul of the 150 mill at Yenakievo in February-March 2014.
Long product output at Promet Steel fell by 37,000 tons, amid a shortage of square billet due to the shutdown of Yenakievo from August to October 2014. Rail product output at Azovstal dropped by 193,000 tons due to decreased demand, tubular product output declined by 19 thousand tons due to the complete shutdown of Khartsyzsk Pipe Works from the middle of Q3 2014 until the year end. (https://www.steelguru.com/international_news/Metinvest_update_on_metal_product_output/357243.html/(Ukrainian metal)