Mineral Resource Base
The ore reserves and mineral resources of all Norilsk Nickel’s fields on the Taimyr (Polar Division) and Kola (Kola MMC) Peninsulas and in Trans-Baikal Territory (Bystrinskoye Field) changed over the reporting year due to the ongoing production and operational exploration.
* Information about the Company’s ore reserves and mineral resources as at 31 December 2015 is stated as per the analysis and operating alignment of the Russian divisions’ ore and metal balance reserves (Russian classification, Form No.
Polar Division fields
Taimyr Peninsula
Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Division develops three copper-nickel sulphide deposits under its current licences. Those include the Talnakhskoye and Oktyabrskoye fields (jointly the “Talnakh Ore Cluster”), and the Norilsk-1 Field (part of the Norilsk Ore Cluster).
The Group’s Taimyr fields offer a great opportunity to maintain the required level of ore reserves through the significant mineral resources attributable to the existing mining facilities. The depleted rich and cuprous ore reserves at the existing mines are mainly replaced through inferred resources on the flanks of the developed fields. Norilsk Nickel plans to ramp up its mining operations by tapping into new rich ore deposits and focusing on the gradual and active development of disseminated and cuprous ore horizons. The Group will leverage the approved projects to develop new deposits and horizons in Talnakh Ore Cluster and promising geological exploration data to ensure a sustainable mineral resource base going forward.
| Depletion of balance ore reserves |
Ni
254.6
kt
|
Cu
431.0
kt
|
|
Ore reserve increase owing to operational exploration within the boundaries of the fields under exploitation
|
3.4
mt
of ore |
Average content:
Ni
1.62
%
Cu
1.73
%
PGM
9.87
kt
|
|
Measured and indicated copper-nickel mineral resources |
1.652
mt
of ore |
Ni
11.9
mt
Cu
22.3
mt
PGM
7.9
kt
(approximately 255.1 m oz t) |
Kola MMC fields
KolaPeninsula
Severny Mine is currently developing several of Pechenga ore fields, including the Zhdanovskoye, Zapolyarnoye, Kotselvaara and Semiletka (Kaula-Kotselvaara mine) fields. In addition to those, Severny Mine’s allotment also embraces Sputnik, Bystrinskoye, Tundrovoye, and Verkhneye fields.
In the near term, the Kola Peninsula’s available mineral resource base will allow Norilsk Nickel to maintain its current level of metal output.
| Depletion of balance ore reserves |
Ni
56.0
kt
|
Cu
22.3
kt
|
|
The copper-nickel reserves were further explored and assigned higher classification categories:
|
>7.4
mt
of ore |
Average content:
Ni
0.82
%
Cu
0.51
%
|
|
Kola Division’s proven and probable ore reserves |
>140
mt
of ore |
Ni
>0.8
mt
Cu
0.4
mt
|
|
Measured and indicated copper-nickel mineral resources |
>348
mt
of ore |
Ni
2.4
mt
Cu
1.1
mt
|
Bystrinskoye Field
Trans-Baikal Territory
In 2015, in the course of stripping at the Bystrinskoye Field, the Group mined 726 t of gold-iron-copper ores from the special-purpose ore stockpile
|
Balance mineral reserves of Bystrinskoye Field (В + С1 + С2) |
288
mt
of ore |
Cu
2.044
kt
Fe
67
mt
Ag
33.619
k oz t
Au
7.502
k oz t
|
Honeymoon Well
Australia
The Group holds a licence to develop Honeymoon Well Project, including:
- The fields with disseminated nickel sulphide ores, which include Hannibals, Harrier, Corella and Harakka Fields.
- Wedgetail Field, the only field with solid and vein ores.
|
Total measured and indicated mineral resources of Honeymoon Well Project are estimated at |
173
mt
of ore |
Average content:
Ni
0.67
%
|