Mineral base
Nornickel boasts a unique mineral resource base of Tier 1 assets in Russia, on the Taimyr and Kola Peninsulas and in the Zabaykalsky Region. Nornickel’s continued focus on expanding its resource base is essential to its long-term development.
Existing deposits
Nornickel is well-positioned to maintain a high level of economic ore reserves given the significant mineral resources within the existing deposits. The depleted ore reserves at the existing mines are replaced through resource development. The Company plans to ramp up its production by tapping into new rich ore deposits and gradually developing disseminated and cuprous ore horizons.
Location and profile
The Talnakh ore cluster is located in the Norilsk Industrial District, on the right bank of the Norilskaya River. It includes the world’s largest Oktyabrskoye and Talnakhskoye copper-nickel deposits located on the north-western margin of the Siberian Craton. In the early 1960s, multiple ore bodies of high-grade cuprous and disseminated ores were discovered within the area. Nornickel is still well supplied with base and noble metals from the uniquely rich and vast resource base of the Talnakh ore cluster developed through mining operations of its Polar Division.
Location and profile
The Norilsk ore cluster (NID) is located in the Norilsk Industrial District. Brownfields include the northern part of the Norilsk-1 deposit producing disseminated sulphide ores since the 1930s.
To finance brownfield expansion in the northern part of the Norilsk-1 deposit, Nornickel launched the South Cluster project. A licence to develop Norilsk-1 and also some of the Polar Division’s assets were transferred to Medvezhy Ruchey, a wholly owned subsidiary established specifically to implement the expansion project. Medvezhy Ruchey includes Norilsk Concentrator, an open pit and an underground mine at Zapolyarny Mine, and tailing dumps No. 1 and Lebyazhye.
Location and profile
Kola MMC develops deposits located within a 25 km stretch between Nickel and Zapolyarny in the west of the Murmansk Region, and grouped into two ore clusters: Western (Kotselvaara and Semiletka deposits) and Eastern (Zhdanovskoye, Zapolyarnoye, Bystrinskoye, Tundrovoye, Sputnik, and Verkhneye deposits). The deposits in the Western and Eastern clusters have been developed since the 1930s and 1960s, respectively.
Location and profile
The Bystrinskoye deposit is located in the Zabaykalsky Region, 16 km east of Gazimursky Zavod. Nornickel owns 50.01% of GRK Bystrinskoye which develops gold-iron-copper ores of the Bystrinskoye deposit. The Bystrinskoye deposit and Bystrinsky GOK came online in 2019.
Location and profile
The Nkomati disseminated copper-nickel sulphide ore deposit is part of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa. The deposit consists of several ore bodies. The major ones are a solid sulphide ore body (high-grade nickel ore) and the main mineralisation zone (MMZ ore). It also includes a peridotite chromite mineralisation zone (PCMZ) with a lower metal content vs the main mineralisation zone. The deposit is developed by Nkomati (50%-owned by Nornickel). In 2019, the Group and its operating partner, African Rainbow Minerals, reached an agreement to scale down production at Nkomati Nickel Mine during 2020. As part of this process, the partners will elaborate in due course a plan contemplating the cessation of the mining operations and the placing of the mine in care and maintenance.