OREANDA-NEWS. October 12, 2011. Mechel OAO (NYSE: MTL), one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, won the 5th annual award of Minex-2011 forum in the nomination “For Successful Development of a Mining Industry Project”.

The award was granted based on the results of online open voting and the opinions of independent experts involved in the award committee’s work.

The Elga coal deposit is one of the world’s largest coking coal deposits. Its development is a key strategic project for the Far East, unmatched in the past 35 years of the Russian mining industry. Due to the Elga deposit’s development, the company will be able to increase export to Pacific Asia, thus strengthening its positions in this actively developing region.

Mechel Mining Management Company OOO’s Chief Executive Officer Boris Nikishichev said regarding the award: “We are very glad that experts and the community honored our work on Elga Coal Complex with such a high evaluation. We do have something to be proud of. Not only did our company manage to begin coal mining in such a short time, but we also built over 200 kilometers of railway in very difficult geographic and climatic conditions. Elga Coal Complex’s construction will give a significant boost to the Far East’s development, create new jobs and lay the basis for a new industrial and social infrastructure in southern Yakutia’s less populated areas.”