STRATEGY

Metal trading focusing on coal and copper

As a trader of coal, copper and rare metals, Samsung C&T imports metals and engages in intermediary trade. In order to secure stable supply, we carry out resource development projects in key strategic areas.
As for coals, we were the first company in Korea to import anthracite from the US for domestic supply in 1979. We import bituminous coals from overseas and supply them to local mills, power plants, cement plants and combined heat and power plants. Samsung C&T continues to grow in the overseas market through intermediary trade, sourcing bituminous coal from Russia (Sakhalin), Indonesia and Australia for sales in major emerging markets such as China and India.

Copper trading was launched in earnest after Samsung C&T took part in the Kazakhmys project in 1995. Currently, we have secured a stable supply of copper from major producers in Latin America (Mexico, Bolivia, and Chile) and Africa (DR Congo), which we market to China, which accounts for 50% of the world’s demand for copper, as well as South Korea and Southeast Asia, where demand continues to grow. We aim to solidify our presence as a top global copper trader by strengthening trading in strategic markets and developing new projects.

Regarding rare metals, we trade in metals for rechargeable batteries and primary metals such as gold, silver and platinum group metals (PGM).

Operation of oil & gas production fields

After recognizing the growing importance of overseas resource development, Samsung C&T has made efforts to secure energy sources such as crude oil and natural gas since the early 1980s. In 2011, we acquired US energy company Parallel Petroleum, which operates onshore oilfields estimated to hold up to 49.1 million barrels of oil (as of the end of 2015). In addition, we acquired equity in LNG plants in Oman and Qatar to ensure overseas LNG, introducing independently developed LNG to the Korean market since 1999 and thus contributing to providing a stable supply of clean energy.