OREANDA-NEWS. Nickel and palladium producer Norilsk Nickel is increasing its nickel output predictions for 2007.

The increased forecast comes off the back of the firm's acquisition of the OM Group nickel assets.

Expected production of palladium and platinum are set to remain unchanged at 3,00-3,05 million ounces and 700,000-710,000 oz respectively.

Tav Morgan, Deputy General Director of Norilsk Nickel Mining and Metallurgical Company, also announced that the firm's first quarter production plan had been met at 61,000 tonnes of nickel, 10,000 tonnes of copper, 716,000 oz of palladium and 169,000 oz of platinum over the first three months of the year.

The figures do not account for platinum and palladium production from the US subsidiary Stillwater Mining.