FACTBOX: Russian steel and metals production

(Reuters) - Russia, the world's second-largest oil exporter behind Saudi Arabia and supplier of a quarter of Europe's gas needs, is also one of the world's largest steel and metals producers.

The following is a list of some of the metals produced by Russia and the country's world ranking:

STEEL

Russia is the world's fourth-largest steel producer, behind China, Japan and the United States.

It produced 72.2 million tonnes in 2007, or 5.3 percent of global production of 1.34 billion tonnes.

Russia's biggest steel producers are Severstal, Evraz Group, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works and Novolipetsk Steel.

Source: International Iron and Steel Institute

IRON ORE

Russia is the world's fifth-largest iron ore miner, behind China, Brazil, Australia and India.

It produced 110 million tonnes in 2007, or 5.8 percent of global production of approximately 1.9 billion tonnes.

Russia's reserve base, however, is the largest in the world in terms of iron content: 31 billion tonnes, or 19 percent of global reserves of 160 billion tonnes based on iron content.

Russia's largest iron ore producer is Metalloinvest.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey

GOLD

Russia is the world's sixth-largest gold miner, behind China, South Africa, Australia, the United States and Peru. It produced 169.2 tonnes of gold in 2007, or 6.8 percent of global mined gold output of 2,476 tonnes.

Russia's gold reserves, however, are second only to South Africa's. The Russian Gold Industrialists Union says the country plans to raise production to 225 tonnes by 2015 as many large mines in Siberia and the Far East come on stream.