OREANDA-NEWS. Mechel PAO (NYSE: MTL, MOEX: MTLR), a leading Russian mining and metals company, announces the closure of the deal on selling to Gazprombank AO the 49% share in the Elga coking coal deposit development project for 34.3 billion rubles.

According to the agreement, Mechel sold to Gazprombank 49% of shares in Elgaugol OOO, the project operator company and owner of its subsoil license, 49% of shares in Elga-Doroga OOO which owns the Ulak-Elga railroad, and 49% of shares in Mecheltrans Vostok OOO which is the railroad’s transport operator. The cost of these shares totals 34.3 billion rubles.

“Together with Gazprombank we have followed the long and difficult path of restructuring Mechel’s debt, and now, building on our partnership, we have exercised the Gazprombank’s option to purchase the 49% share in Elga Coal Complex. Completion of this deal will not only help decreasing Mechel’s debt, but will also enable us to further develop the Elga deposit, which has tremendous importance for Russia’s mining industry,” Mechel PAO’s Chief Executive Officer Oleg Korzhov noted.

The Elga coal deposit is Russia’s largest and one of the world’s largest deposits of high-quality coking coal, located in South Yakutia. Its reserves amount to approximately 2.2 billion tonnes according to JORC.

Mechel is an international mining and steel company which employs over 66,000 people. Its products are marketed in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa. Mechel unites producers of coal, iron ore concentrate, steel, rolled products, ferroalloys, heat and electric power. All of its enterprises work in a single production chain, from raw materials to high value-added products.