Half a ton of nickel stolen 07/31/2007 KOPPEL - Someone carried...

Half a ton of nickel stolen
07/31/2007

KOPPEL - Someone carried more than $20,000 worth of nickel in buckets out of the IPSCO Koppel Tubular mill over a month period, state police announced Tuesday.
The thefts took place on more than one occasion between April 2 and May 4, state police said. During that time frame, police said, a white man was seen shoveling nickel pellets from the facility into buckets and placing them in a waiting vehicle. No other description was released, and no reason was given for why the man was not stopped.
IPSCO Koppel Tubular officials did not return calls for comment on the thefts.
State police Trooper Craig McKean, who is investigating the thefts, said approximately 1,000 pounds of nickel was taken. Nickel was valued at $13.80 a pound on the London Metal Exchange as of Monday.
In April and May, the value of nickel hovered around $23 a pound, which means the value plummeted nearly $10 per pound when the market bottomed out in mid-July. By way of comparison, copper has traded at around $3.50 a pound for the last three months.
Police ask that anyone with information on the thefts call them at (724) 773-7400.