MMC Norilsk Nickel proceeds to the next stage of Bystrinsky minefield development

MMC Norilsk Nickel, JSC proceed construction of access roads to Bystrinsky Mining and Dressing Plant, the next stage of development of Bystrinsky Minefield.

The length of the combined highway and railway roads is about 12 km. Completion of construction of access roads are planned in Q3 2013. Estimated construction cost reaches about 2.8 billion rubles.

Development of Bystrinsky deposit is a part of the investment project "Establishment of Transportation Infrastructure for the Development of Mineral Resources of South-East of the Trans-Baikal Region", implemented by MMC Norilsk Nickel on the basis of public-private partnership, supported by Russian Investment Fund, providing for construction of two ore mining and dressing plants based on Bystrinsky and Bugdainsky minefields.

Construction of highway and railway roads provides for the period of Bystrinsky Mining and Dressing Plant construction supply of building materials, structures and products, delivery of materials for the needs of the plant, export of finished products etc.

Launch of Bystrinsky Mining and Dressing Plant is planned for 2016. The estimated annual production of the plant:

Ores mining and processing: 10 million tons a year.

Finished products:
- 62 k tons of copper in copper concentrate
- 6.3 tons of gold in concentrate
- 2.1 million tons of iron ore concentrate.

The investment project on development of mineral resources of the Trans-Baikal region is implemented through public-private partnership. Partners are the Russian Investment Fund and MMC Norilsk Nickel. Total investment volume reaches 104.597 billion rubles. MMC Norilsk Nickel will invest more than 80 billion rubles, of which 72 358.04 million rubles will be assigned for independent development of two minefields – Bystrinsky and Bugdainsky.

ABOUT MMC NORILSK NICKEL:

MMC Norilsk Nickel, a company incorporated under the laws of the Russian Federation, is the largest diversified mining and metals company in Russia, the world's largest producer of nickel and palladium and one of the world's largest producers of platinum, rhodium, copper and cobalt. In addition to this, MMC Norilsk Nickel produces a large number of other by-products, including gold, silver, tellurium, selenium, iridium and ruthenium.

The key production units of the Company’s group in Russia are at the Polar and Kola Peninsulas. MMC Norilsk Nickel international assets include operations in Finland, Australia, Botswana and South Africa.

MMC Norilsk Nickel’s shares are traded at MICEX and RTS. ADRs on the Company’s shares are traded at over the counter market in the US and at the London and Berlin stock exchanges.