外媒：俄Severstal钢厂与利比里亚政府签订25亿美元铁矿石项目

概述：俄罗斯最大钢厂OAO Severstal与利比里亚政府签下25年合作计划开发西非Putu铁矿，该项目估计资产投入打25亿美元。Severstal钢厂CEO Alexei Mordashov曾表示俄罗斯钢厂现热衷于开发非洲矿山。

Severstal Agrees With Government on $2.5 Billion Liberian Iron Development

OAO Severstal, Russia’s largest steelmaker, agreed to a 25-year plan to develop the Putu iron ore mine with the government of Liberia in West Africa, with investment in the project expected to reach $2.5 billion.

A feasibility study will be completed in September 2012, Severstal said in a statement today. Investment will be partly funded through loans, spokesman Sergey Loktionov said by phone. Severstal, which has a 61.5 percent stake, plans to produce 20 million metric tons of iron ore a year at the site, he said. London-traded African Aura Mining Inc. holds 38.5 percent.

“Given that the global market is experiencing an iron ore shortage, this can be a very profitable venture for Severstal,” UralSib Financial Corp. analyst Dmitry Smolin said in Moscow. “Africa could become one of the major players in the iron ore market within three to five years.”

Severstal’s billionaire Chief Executive Officer Alexei Mordashov said in June the Russian steelmaker was interested in expanding in African mining. The company in May bought 16.5 percent of Core Mining Ltd., which has licenses to untapped iron ore deposits in Congo and Gabon, and yesterday raised its stake in Crew Gold Corp., operating in Guinea, to 93.4 percent.

（来源：Bloomberg）