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Russia's coal exports up almost 12% in 6 months

The Russian companies produced 199.8 million tons of coal and exported 81.09 mln tns

MOSCOW, August 2 (Itar-Tass) - Output of coal in Russia went up 1.3% in the period of January through to July 2013 compared with the same period of 2012, while the exports rose 11.6%, the Central Dispatching Department of the fuel and energy sector said in a report Friday.

More specifically, the Russian companies produced 199.8 million tons of coal and exported 81.09 mln tns.

After the negative mining dynamics registered in the first quarter of 2013 in comparison with the same period of 2012 that was caused by an unfavorable situation on the market, Russian companies began a gradual buildup of production and exports of the fuel in the second quarter of 2013.

Consumption of coal in Russia reached its peak in 1988 and it has fallen by a factor of 1.4 in the main segments of the market since then.

In the conditions of a stagnation of domestic consumption, a growth of exports furnishes the mining companies with a stimulus for building up the output. Competition with natural gas, the prices of which are regulated, has become the major reason for a slide of demand on the domestic market.

Production of coal by open-pit methods went up 2.55 mln tns to 140.15 mln tns and the output of coal in underground mines rose 33.7% to 59.66 mln tns.

The exports of coking coal increased by 5.4 mln tns to 12.6 mln tns.

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