EVRAZ plc has released its trading update for the third quarter of 2020. In Q3 2020, EVRAZ consolidated crude steel output fell by 4.4% QoQ, mainly due to the planned shutdown of blast furnace no 5 and the launch of blast furnace no 6 after the completion of a major overhaul at EVRAZ NTMK. Total sale of steel products decreased by 9.5% QoQ. Sales of semi-finished products fell by 24.1% QoQ following the increase of sales of finished goods to the Russian market. Sales of fini hed products increased by 5.7% QoQ amid better market conditions in Russia and an improved product mix.
Total raw coking coal production went up by 14.6% QoQ, driven by the completion of longwall moves at the Alardinskaya and Esaulskaya mines in Q2 2020. While production at the Razrez Raspadsky open pit remained suspended during the reporting period due to unfavourable market conditions, operations were resumed in October 2020 amid dwindling stockpiles and rising prices for coal products. External sales volumes of coking coal products climbed by 23.6% QoQ following an improvement in market conditions.
External sales of iron ore products grew by 9.0% QoQ amid higher shipments to export markets in Q3 2020.
Sales of vanadium products rose by 13.4% QoQ, mainly due to increased steel utilisation rates and a slight recovery of the automotive industry. The regional sales and product mix was also changed to serve the more active Chinese oxide market.
| Product, 000 tonnes | Q3 2020 | Q2 2020 | QoQ | 9m 2020 | 9m 2019 | YoY
|
| Total crude steel production | 3,227 | 3,377 | -4.4% | 10,163 | 10,364 | -1.9%
|
| Russia | 2,893 | 2,992 | -3.3% | 9,006 | 8,945 | 0.7%
|
| North America | 334 | 385 | -13.2% | 1,157 | 1,419 | -18.5%
|
| Total raw coking coal mined | 4,775 | 4,165 | 14.6% | 14,632 | 20,159 | -27.4%
|
| Total coking coal concentrate production | 3,873 | 3,820 | 1.4% | 11,440 | 12,385 | -7.6%
|
| Iron ore products production | 3,508 | 3,460 | 1.4% | 10,563 | 10,488 | 0.7%
|
| Total sales of steel products | 3,062 | 3,382 | -9.5% | 9,668 | 9,884 | -2.2%
|
| Semi-finished products | 1,309 | 1,724 | -24.1% | 4,476 | 4,131 | 8.4%
|
| Finished products | 1,753 | 1,658 | 5.7% | 5,192 | 5,753 | -9.8%
|
| Total sales of third-party steel products | 267 | 197 | 35.5% | 639 | 601 | 6.3%
|
| Sales of coking coal products | 3,460 | 2,800 | 23.6% | 9,539 | 8,539 | 11.7%
|
| Sales of iron ore products | 486 | 446 | 9.0% | 1,287 | 861 | 49.5%
|
| Sales of vanadium in slag | 1,605 | 1,996 | -19.6% | 4,366 | 4,529 | -3.6%
|
| Sales of vanadium final products 1 | 2,779 | 2,450 | 13.4% | 8,397 | 9,369 | -10.4%
|
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1 In tonnes of pure vanadium