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.

Mineral resources and ore reservesData on mineral resources and ore reserves are based on the data on ore and metal balance reserves from the Russian divisions (reported in Form No. 5-gr under the Russian classification), analysed and converted as necessary to estimates under the Australasian Code for Reporting of Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code). The estimates are JORC-compliant, use the terms recommended by the Russian Code for the Public Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (the NAEN Code), and are based on the rules and regulations developed by Micon International Limited which conducts regular audits of the Group’s reserves in Russia. The reserves and resources include wholly owned international assets (the Honeymoon Well project), net of GRK Bystrinkoye’s deposits. Platinum group metals (PGMs) are platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, osmium, and iridium.
Mineral resources and ore reserves
Talnakh ore cluster
Talnakh
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.

Balance reserves growth in 2019
4 mln t of ore
Ni — 109 kt
Cu — 123 kt
PGMs — 1 Moz
Balance metal reserves involved in 2019
14 mln t of ore
Ni — 259 kt
Cu — 448 kt
PGMs — 4 Moz
Average metal content
Ni — 3.0%, Cu — 3.3%, PGMs — 8.6 g/t
Proven and probable reserves
631 mln t of ore
Ni — 6 mln t
Cu — 11 mln t
PGMs — 112 Moz
Measured and indicated resources
1,554 mln t of ore
Ni — 11 mln t
Cu — 22 mln t
PGMs — 234 Moz
Balance reserves
1,991 mln t of ore
Ni — 15 mln t
Cu — 29 mln t
PGMs — 312 Moz
Norilsk ore cluster
Norilsk
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.

Balance reserves growth in 2019
1 mln t of ore
Ni — 2 kt
Cu — 3 kt
PGMs — 0.1 Moz
Balance metal reserves involved in 2019
2 mln t of ore
Ni — 7 kt
Cu — 10 kt
PGMs — 0.4 Moz
Average metal content
Ni — 3.0%, Cu — 0.5%, PGMs — 2.3 g/t
Proven and probable reserves
42 mln t of ore
Ni — 0.1 mln t
Cu — 0.2 mln t
PGMs — 8 Moz
Measured and indicated resources
145 mln t of ore
Ni — 0.4 mln t
Cu — 0.5 mln t
PGMs — 25 Moz
Balance reserves
146 mln t of ore
Ni — 0.4 mln t
Cu — 0.6 mln t
PGMs — 25 Moz
Kola MMC deposits
Kola MMC
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.

Balance metal reserves involved in 2019
7 mln t of ore
Ni — 47 kt
Cu — 21 kt
Proven and probable reserves
85 mln t of ore
Ni — 0.5 mln t
Cu — 0.3 mln t
Measured and indicated resources
321 mln t of ore
Ni — 2 mln t
Cu — 1 mln t
Balance reserves
465 mln t of ore
Ni — 3 mln t
Cu — 1.5 mln t
Bystrinskoye deposit
Bystrinskoye
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.

Balance reserves involved in 2019
10 mln t of ore
Cu — 61 kt
Au — 317 koz
Ag — 823 koz
Fe — 2 mln t
Balance reserves
316 mln t of ore
Cu — 2 mln t
Au — 9 Moz
Ag — 38 Moz
Fe — 70 mln t
Nkomati deposit
Nkomati
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.

Proven and probable reserves
8 mln t of ore
Ni — 22 kt
Cu — 8 kt
Co — 1 kt
PGMs — 0.2 Moz
Measured and indicated resources
173 mln t of ore
Ni — 602 kt
Cu — 236 kt
Co — 32 kt
PGMs — 5.2 Moz