FACTBOX-Foreign investment in Russian coal sector

MOSCOW, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Russia's coal mines, particularly in the Arctic and Far East, are attracting interest from foreign investors as commodity prices rebound.

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Below is a list of some of the major investments and purchase agreements involving foreign companies in Russia, which was the world's third-largest steam coal exporter last year:

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS

* ArcelorMittal ASPA.AS pays $720 million in 2008 to acquire three coal mines from Russian rival Severstal (CHMF.MM) and affiliated parties in western Siberia's Kuzbass basin.

* Italy's Coeclerici acquires the Korchakol mine in the Kuzbass in 2008. The company has been active in the Russian market since the 1960s and exports 3 million tonnes of steam coal from the Arctic port of Murmansk annually.

* Global mining giant BHP Billiton (BHP.AX) and Russia's Norilsk Nickel (GMKN.MM) in 2006 announce an alliance on minerals and exploration and development, focusing initially on western Siberia and northwest Russia. In October, 2009 an executive at the Russian miner says the two companies will start mining an Arctic coking coal deposit in 2015. Initial annual output will total 8 million tonnes, and plans call for later production to reach 12 million to 15 million tonnes per year. [ID:nLG593937]

COAL DEALS

* Russian steam coal producer SUEK in July, 2007 begins rail shipments to China Datang Corp as part of an agreement to supply at least 0.5 million tonnes of coal annually to the utility.

* South Korea's Hyundai Steel (004020.KS) in February, 2009 signs an agreement to purchase 100,000 to 300,000 tonnes of coking coal per year from Russia's Mechel (MTL.N) for five years starting on April 1, 2010.

* Japan's Mitsui (8031.T) in August, 2009 signs a cooperation agreement with Mechel covering a range of projects including the marketing and sale of coal and metals. [ID:nLA409850]

* Russia's Energy Ministry in September, 2009 says unnamed Chinese investors are in talks with Russian coal miners, including Mechel and United Industrial Corp to develop resources and infrastructure in the Far East. [ID:nLP530434]

* Hyundai Steel in September, 2009 says it will buy up to 300,000 tonnes of coal per year from Russia's Siberian Anthracite for five years starting in 2010. [ID:nLN594302]

* South Korea's POSCO (005490.KS) in September, 2009 signs a five-year deal to purchase 1 million tonnes of coking coal and coal products from Sibuglemet, also starting in 2010.

(Reporting by Alfred Kueppers; Editing by Keiron Henderson)