• Font Size    

Today's Most Popular Video

Letters To Santa Sent To Sex Offender?
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Taconite Demand Up; More Production On Range

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +   
Sep 12, 2009 2:38 pm US/Central

Taconite Demand Up; More Production On Range

VIRGINIA, Minn. (AP) ― A Cleveland-abased natural resources company based is ramping up its sales goals this year after previously announcing it was boosting production at its United Taconite plant in Minnesota.

Cliffs Natural Resources says it expects 17 million tons this year, up from 15 million tons. Cliffs operates three iron ore mines in Minnesota, including United Taconite, Hibbing Taconite and Northshore Mining.

Company officials say customers are increasing steel production and restarting blast furnaces.

Cliffs shut down one of its Minnesota plants last fall when the economic downturn started and all three shut down due to maintenance or lack of demand earlier this year.

Taconite is lower-grade iron ore that is turned into iron pellets for steelmaking.

-------

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the world's largest open pit iron ore mine is in Hibbing, Minn.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.