Met machinations: Sometimes mama cut a switch too brittle for a good whippin'

摘要

The best-laid plans to achieve a decline in raw material costs might not be quite as successful as some steelmakers anticipated. Eye-popping price tags for the best-quality coking coals have forced some in the steel industry to explore cheaper options, and one attempt to lower costs lies in the move from "A" and strong "B" type high-vol met products to second-tier qualities. It's been widely reported that such shifts in coke oven blends have been undertaken in recent months, but it seems little has been said of how the changes have worked. Joe Czul, president of Logan & Kanawha, discussed the results some of the "Western world plants" are having in adjusting to new blends during James River Coal's second quarter earnings call. L&K became a part of James River following a recent merger.