URALCHEM announces production results for the first 9 months of 2009

11.11.2009

Moscow, Russia – 11 November, 2009 – URALCHEM, OJSC, (“the Company” or “URALCHEM”), one of the largest producers of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers in Russia and the CIS, reports its production results for the first 9 months of 2009.

According to the Company’s production results for the first 9 months of 2009, URALCHEM produced 3, 301, 863 tonnes of commercial output, which amounted to a 7% decrease from the same period in 2008 (including Voskresensk Mineral Fertilizers, OJSC).

Production of Key Commercial Output for the first 9 months of 2009/2008 (tonnes)

Product

9 months of 2009

9 months of 2008 (including Voskresensk Mineral Fertilizers, OJSC)[1]

(I-II)/II

 

I

II

III

Ammonium nitrate and its derivatives

1 835 529

1 732 842

6%

Ammonia

298 101

389 240

(23)%

Urea

390 680

312 529

25%

Complex fertilizers

454 842

354 994

28%

DAP

38 672

169 770

(77)%

MAP

24 807

235 342

(89)%

MAP+S

37 726

Other mineral fertilizers

24 946

51 976

(52)%

Phosphoric acid

3 280

15 171

(78)%

Sulphuric acid

58 466

140 456

(58)%

Other chemical products

134 812

148 377

(9)%

Total

3 301 861

3 550 697

(7)%

Dmitry Osipov, Chief Executive Officer of URALCHEM, commented: “Reduced production levels for some of our fertilizer products were a result of the global financial crisis. The mineral fertilizer industry currently finds itself in a difficult situation. Prices are considerably lower than they were last year. For nitrogen fertilizers, prices have decreased by two times, while phosphate fertilizers have fallen by four times in comparison with 2008 peaks. However, we expect to see relative growth starting from February 2010, as the sowing season begins. In the first 9 months of 2009 URALCHEM produced the maximum output that could be sold. Thus, the production of ammonium nitrate and its derivatives increased by 6% compared to the first 9 months of 2008 and production of urea increased by 25%. Commercial ammonia production was scaled back by 23% compared to the first 9 months of 2008 mainly as a result of the product being further processed into dry fertilizer.

The sharp decrease in DAP and MAP production in the first 9 months of 2009 was the result of ongoing difficulties with supplies of apatite concentrate – our key phosphate fertilizer feedstock.

We have been able to overcome these difficulties by carrying out modernization and launching production of complex NPK fertilizers at Voskresensk Mineral Fertilizers. These steps have strengthened URALCHEM’s position in the complex fertilizers market. Through these steps, complex fertilizer production in the first 9 months of 2009 has increased by 28% compared to the same period of last year".



[1] Information in the column was drawn from consolidated production results of URALCHEM Group (including KCCW, OJSC, Azot, OJSC and Voskresensk Mineral Fertilizers, OJSC), as if the acquisition of Azot, OJSC took place on 1 January, 2008.