Mechel chief executive Yevgeny Mikhel said the production hike demonstrated the Moscow-based miner’s stability even as output from both Russian and US operations had to be curtailed for technical and economic reasons.

“This [production increase] became possible due to restoration and increase of mining volumes at Yakutugol Holding Company OAO’s Neryungrinsky open pit after the Neryungrinskaya washing plant reached full production capacity and a 1 million tonne mining and transport complex was launch it late 2011,” he said.

Mikhel relayed the company’s half-year results compared to the mid-point last year, noting a large advance in pulverized coal injection production which exceeded 1Mt on the period.

“Sales of coking coal concentrate went up by 4%, PCI coals by 51% and anthracites by 26% thanks to our company’s long-term strategy of increasing production and sales of metallurgical coal,” he said.