Edgar Filing: Mechel OAO

FORM 6-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

Report of Foreign Private Issuer

Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16

under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

September 18, 2008

Commission File Number: 333-119497

MECHEL OAO

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

Krasnoarmeyskaya 1,

Moscow 125993

Russian Federation

(Address of principal executive offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:

Form 20-F x

Form 40-F o

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):

Yes o

No x

Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(c) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):

Yes o

No x

Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant’s “home country”), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrant’s securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrant’s security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR.

Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

Yes o

No x

If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b):

MECHEL ANNOUNCES THE INSTALLATION OF NEW EQUIPMENT AT ITS
SOUTHERN URALS NICKEL PLANT OAO SUBSIDIARY

Orsk, Russia – September 18, 2008 – Mechel OAO (NYSE: MTL), one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, announces that it has upgraded the machine tool equipment base at its Southern Urals Nickel Plant OAO subsidiary.

A new large lathe RT-117-5, valued at approximately RUR6.0 million ($240.0 thousand), has been installed in the Casting and Mechanical Workshop of Southern Urals Nickel Plant OAO. Among other tasks, the universal lathe is designed to manufacture and renovate shafts of up to 5 meters in length and crane wheels, process the rotors of sinter machines, and manufacture sinter cutting knives. In the process of installing the 16-tonne machine in the workshop aisle, the lathe was, first disassembled, transported to the site, and then re-assembled again at the prepared site by the plant’s specialists.

Operation of the lathe will enable the Casting and Mechanical Workshop to extend the variety of long-length components it currently machines and cut production costs by reducing outsourcing the production of such components to third parties. Ultimately, the workshop plans to also replace its Skoda boring machine and its vertical milling machine, which have reached the end of their service lives.

In line with the plant’s program to upgrade the equipment in its auxiliary shops, an 8-tonne telpher to be used in overall repairs of the main processing equipment and a sling testing jig required to arrange a section for sling manufacturing have been purchased for the Casting and Mechanical Workshop.

Mechel OAO’s capital expenditure program provides for investing approximately US$350.0 million in development of its Southern Urals Nickel Plant OAO subsidiary until 2012.

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Mechel OAO
Ilya Zhitomirsky

Phone: + 7 495 221 88 88

ilya.zhitomirsky@mechel.com

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Mechel is one of the leading Russian companies. Its business includes three segments: mining, steel, and power. Mechel unites producers of coal, iron ore concentrate, nickel, steel, rolled products, hardware, heat and electric power. Mechel products are marketed domestically and internationally.

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Some of the information in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of Mechel, as defined in the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We wish to caution you that these statements are only predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. We do not intend to update these statements. We refer you to

the documents Mechel files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Form 20-F. These documents contain and identify important factors, including those contained in the section captioned “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in our Form 20-F, that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, the achievement of anticipated levels of profitability, growth, cost and synergy of our recent acquisitions, the impact of competitive pricing, the ability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and licenses, the impact of developments in the Russian economic, political and legal environment, volatility in stock markets or in the price of our shares or ADRs, financial risk management and the impact of general business and global economic conditions.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

	MECHEL OAO


	By:	/s/ Igor Zyuzin

	Name:	Igor Zyuzin

	Title:	CEO

Date: September 18, 2008