The Department of exploration of "Norilsk Nickel" this year in the exploration of minerals will be invested 1.8 billion rubles

According to

provided to journalists by the head

geological Department of MMC

Norilsk Nickel, Oleg Simonov,

metallurgical company this year

investing in exploration useful

fossils of the order of 1.8 billion rubles. In

the company plans the drilling of rocks in the volumes

exceeding the 114,000 meters. At

forecasts of experts of Department,

in 2011 the increase in reserves can be

about 135 tonnes of platinum group metals, more than 550 thousand tons.

copper and 180,000 tonnes of Nickel.

The amount of capital investment

«Norilsk Nickel» in the exploration

work in the current year exceeds the level

investment in exploration

2009 and 2010 (430 and 560 million rubles, respectively).

However, below the volumes of 2008 (pre-crisis)

year, when the company was invested in exploration

2,976 billion. At the same time Mr. Simonov

noted that the amount of funding

exploration is not always

proportional to the growth rate

stocks. For example, in 2009, when

investment in prospecting of non-ferrous and

precious metals were minimal

proved to be the company’s most

productive.

The priority for

the company’s areas experts

geological Directorate of MMC include

the development of the mineral resource base in

The Norilsk industrial area and near

functioning of industrial capacity

Of the Kola Peninsula. Here, the experts

Directorate of exploration see the future to find

richer ore concentration

of Nickel is greater than 1% (which is above the content

precious metal ores, developed

Kola MMC at the moment).