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Magnitogorsk metallurgical steel works (MMK) management raises wages from February. General manager Boris Dubrowski has released an appropriate order. Average wage will increase by 5%. During the last several years average monthly wage was increased from 19 800 (in 2006) to 39 600 (in 2011) Rubles, or in US $: from 660 (in 2006) to 1320 (in 2011). Among other benefits for MMK workers are social programs, teaching and training for skills increase.

Source: Ura.Ru

35 Companies from China and other countries from south-east Asia are going to participate in the 17th International Industrial Exhibition Metal-Expo’2011. China (27 participating companies) ranks second among Metal-Expo’2011 international exhibitors. Chinese companies will present to the visitors various kinds of metal products and metalworking equipment.

Baosteel Group’s pipe division is seeing its sales in South America increase this year, through the development of oil country tubular goods and oil/gas line pipe markets in the region, Steel Business Briefing learns from the company.

Severstal, one of the world’s leading vertically integrated steel and steel related mining companies, announces the launch of a major environmental project aimed at reducing atmospheric emissions at the Cherepovets Steel Mill, part of the Severstal Russian Steel division.

NLMK, one of the world’s leading steel companies, today announced the acquisition of the National Laminations group, an electrical steel service center in India, for a total consideration of US $8 million. This acquisition will enhance NLMK’s position in the Indian market as one of the leading suppliers of grain-oriented electrical steel, controlling production from crude steel production to delivery to the final customer.

Izhora Plants, part of OMZ Group, signed a contract with "ArktikStroyMost", JSC for the manufacture of steel structures for construction of a second, third and fourth start-up complexes of bridge construction across the Volga River in Volgograd.

TMK, one of the world’s leading oil and gas steel pipe producers, has run the string consisting of 276 casing pipes with TMK FMC premium connections in a well at Gazprom Neft's South Priobskoye field.

Russia’s United Metallurgical Co (OMK) is nearing the end of the assembling phase of the new 5 metre wide plate mill, which is being constructed at its Vyksa steelworks. The cold testing will begin as soon as the last of the equipment is assembled, which "should happen in the next month of two", a company spokesman tells Steel Business Briefing.

Mechel announced the launch of an modernized steelmaking complex at its Romanian-based subsidiary Ductil Steel Otelu Rosu.

The Russian tube company TPK Soyuz is commissioning the first stage of its new hollow sections plant in Yaroslavl, Russia’s central federal district, Steel Business Briefing learns from the company.

Scrap purchases by steelworks worldwide went up 17.2% in 2010, according to new statistics released Monday by the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) at its conference in Singapore. Steel Business Briefing was in attendance.

France-headquartered pipe maker Vallourec has agreed to acquire Saudi Seamless Pipes Factory Co Ltd “Zamil Pipes” for $135m, Vallourec says in a statement sent to Steel Business Briefing.

]Iranian special steel producer Iran Alloy Steel plans to construct a new seamless pipe mill, Steel Business Briefing is informed by the Iranian state metal and mining group Imidro. A consortium formed of Danieli and another company has signed a contract to construct the new facility named Yazd 1

Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) reports it has assembled first phase of technological equipment at its mill 2000. Continuous pickling line has been linked to the ‘tandem’ mill. All the necessary gear has been put in place.

Russia may consume 3.8m-4m tonnes of coated coil this year compared to 3.5mt in 2010, representatives of Russia’s Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) and Russian/Ukrainian galvanising group Vektron tell Steel Business Briefing, following the conference on coil production and consumption held by Russian publication Metallosnabzheniye i Sbyt in Moscow last week.

Brazilian steelmaker and miner CSN yesterday disclosed plans to build a new longs mill in southeastern São Paulo state, following announcements in 2010 that it would establish two new longs plants in Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro states.

Steelmakers north of Tokyo whose operations were affected by the 11 March earthquake have restarted operations, but concerns remain about power constraints. JFE Bars & Shapes restarted production of sections and bars at its Kashima works from 25 March. A spokesman tells Steel Business Briefing that the mini-mill will try to meet reconstruction demand from Kashima and from its Himeji works in western Japan, but its Sendai works remains flooded and a restart date there is unknown.

Ukrainian steelmaker Interpipe plans to bolster its presence in the North American market with a new premium connection and higher grades of pipe that will allow it to make a profit despite high shipping costs, the company's top North American official said.

Mechel OAO a leading Russian mining and steel company, announces the launch of the reconstructed coking battery #6 at Mechel Mining OAO’s subsidiary, Mechel-Coke OOO.

Russia’s federal antimonopoly service (FAS) is conducting a preliminary inquiry into the pricing of domestically produced steel pipes supplied to Russian oil and gas companies. It is also looking into the pricing of pipemaking materials, including plate. The inquiry was prompted by a complaint by energy giant Gazprom, Steel Business Briefing learns from FAS.