OREANDA-NEWS. June 8, 2007. CJSC North-Western Phosphorous Company (NWPC) head Sergei Fedorov met with Ilya Klebanov, the president’s plenipotentiary envoy to the North-Western Federal District, to discuss construction of a new mining and processing complex at the Oleniy Ruchey apatite-nepheline ore minefield in the Murmansk region. Klebanov initiated the meeting and eighteen months ago was one of the first officials to support the idea of creating an alternative phosphate source in the Khibiny range. Since then, he has been closely following the project.

As in previous meetings, Klebanov showed keen interest in the Company’s business and its problems. Fedorov told him about joint projects with JSC Acron on integrated apatite-nepheline ore utilization, in particular finalizing the technology of nitric acid decomposition of nepheline. NWPC’s head also informed Klebanov that contracts have been signed the project designer – JSC Giproruda (St. Petersburg) – and with a number of the contractors chosen to develop the project. Fedorov also told Klebanov about the meeting held with the project’s designers to reduce the design period and ensure fast commissioning. When Klebanov was told that one of the project steps involves construction of a rail line to the mine site, he offered his assistance in settling the issue with Oktyabrskaya Railways and JSC Russian Railways. As the envoy to the North-Western Federal District, Klebanov is interested not only in the project but also in development of the Murmansk region’s transportation infrastructure.

Klebanov paid particular attention to relations with local authorities. The meeting was held on the day when the mayor of Kirovsk (Murmansk region) signed a preliminary approval for the construction site, which indicates positive relations between the company and local authorities.

Klebanov supported NWPC’s initiative to conduct public consultations on the project for the new field development and asked that Fedorov keep him informed about the project’s development and any problems that arise in the course of its implementation.