Stoilensky, the main resource base for NLMK Group, an international steel company, has begun the mining of quartzite on the southern bank of the Stoilensky deposit. The development of this site and the overall expansion of mining operations will enable a 10% increase in production output year-on-year to 38 million tons in 2018 and will cover NLMK Group’s growing needs in iron ore.
The launch of the pelletizing plant at Stoilensky and projects aimed at growing steel production at the Lipetsk site require more quartzite, used as feedstock for the beneficiation plant. Stoilensky plans to supply more than 1.5 million tons of quartzite and 750,000 tons of rich ore from the southern deposit by the end of 2018.
Sergey Napolskikh, General Director, Stoilenksy, said: “Previously, only small amounts of rich ore were mined at the southern bank. In line with the mine development plan, we dewatered the deposit, removed power transmission lines from the mining area and stepped up stripping operations in 2016-2017. This enabled us to build a new loading point and proceed to full-scale mining. The mine development project includes a reconstruction of the mine logistics scheme. The new scheme will enable a reduction in raw material delivery costs and ensure the economic efficiency of quartzite mining.”
The growth of mining operations will lead to an increase in concentrate production: Stoilensky plans to produce 17.4 million tons of concentrate in 2018 (+ 8.5% YoY). Almost 7 million tons of these will be used for the production of iron ore pellets at the pelletizing plant; and 10.4 million tons will be supplied to NLMK Lipetsk for further sintering. (NLMK/Ukrainian metal)