Noril'sk Nickel and Russian Platinum-Group Metals Production

Abstract

Two specialists on the mineral industries of the former USSR examine current operations and plans for future development of Noril'sk Nickel RAO, Russia's largest producer of nickel, copper, and platinum-group metals (PGM). The paper surveys recent changes in demand (world market prices) for Noril'sk Nickel's major export commodities (with particular emphasis on PGM) and investigates the extent to which these are reflected in the company's Development Plan to 2010. Plans to increase PGM output are assessed in light of such constraints as character of the ore resource, an aging physical infrastructure, availability of investment capital, and transportation costs and bottlenecks.