Moscow, Russia– November 18, 2021 – Mechel PAO (MOEX: MTLR, NYSE: MTL), one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, announces 9M2021 and 3Q2021 operational results.

Mechel’s Chief Executive Officer Oleg Korzhov commented on the results:

“This year’s third quarter will be written into the history of international commodity markets as anomalous, as it saw a price rally both unprecedented in scale and unexpected for industry players. For example, the price of premium coking coal FOB Australia more than doubled in this quarter and firmly reached $400 per tonne. The price for premium coking coal CFR China set a new record in the last week of September, jumping yet another psychological barrier of $600 per tonne. Just as we have foreseen in our 2Q2021 report, the signs of price adjustment began appearing only in the fourth quarter, after Chinese authorities took practical measures slashing steel production. Mechel’s coal assets finished this reporting period with mining results generally equal to the previous quarter. Considering the mining equipment renovation program which we allocated 3.3 billion rubles to this year, we continue with our gradual restoration of our key operational results. The 35-percent year-to-year decrease in coal production was due to decreased contractor mining at Neryungrinsky and Krasnogorsky open pits as well as face transfers at V.I. Lenina and Sibirginskaya underground mines.

“Coking coal concentrate sales went down 30% in 3Q2021 as mining decreased at Neryungrinsky Open Pit due to difficult geological conditions at stoping areas, as well as the fact that in 2Q2021 sales involved accumulated coal stockpiles of which there were practically none left by the third quarter. The same factors were at play for the overall sales of thermal coal, which declined by 10% in the third quarter. PCI and anthracite sales remained on the previous reporting period’s level.

“Iron ore concentrate sales went down 12% due to repairs at Korshunov Mining Plant’s washing plant. The facility has accumulated major ore stockpiles which will be processed into saleable product in the next reporting periods. In 3Q2021, the plant shipped 16,000 tonnes of iron ore concentrate to third-party buyers, which is a 108-percent increase quarter-on-quarter.

“Coke sales in 3Q2021 went down 8% due to stockpiles having been sold off in the previous quarter. Besides, shipment of one of the contract shiploads was put off until the fourth quarter. However, trends in the coke market remain favorable.

“Pig iron and steel output remained largely at the previous quarter’s level.

“This reporting period saw a downward trend for average market prices for rolled steel as demand from the construction industry, steelwork producers, metalworking factories and machine-builders slumped. We think this logically followed the spike in demand for steel products seen in the second quarter, when consumers formed reserves sufficient for their needs.

“Another factor negatively impacting our 3Q2021 sales was the introduction of new export tariffs. In 2021, before the introduction of these tariffs, exports accounted for over 30% of sales of our Group’s Russian-based facilities, but as the new tariffs hit, this share fell by nearly 10% and returned to the average level of the last few years. By our preliminary estimates, the temporary tariffs will cost our company about 1.1 billion rubles, which is roughly equivalent to 1% of our steel division’s revenue.

“On a positive note regarding 9M2021 results, I would like to emphasize the increased share of high-margin products year-on-year. Sales of Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant’s universal rolling mill’s sections went up 26%, with sales of a most popular and profitable type of output — H- and I-beams — up by 21%, hot-rolled thin flats up by 37%, Izhstal’s high-precision sections up by 73%, Urals Stampings Plant’s stampings up by 59% and high-margin types of Beloretsk Metallurgical Plant’s hardware up by 12%.

“Ferrosilicon sales went down 11% quarter-on-quarter due to planned repairs at Bratsk Ferroalloy Plant’s furnaces. Most of the plant’s ferrosilicon goes to export.

“The 3Q2021 31-percent decrease in electricity generation quarter-on-quarter was due to planned repairs of our technological equipment. The decrease in heat generation is seasonal.” 

* Excluding volumes produced by Elga Coal Complex which is no longer part of the Group. 

***

Mechel PAO
Ekaterina Videman
Tel: + 7 495 221 88 88
ekaterina.videman@mechel.com