OREANDA-NEWS. May 13, 2013. OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel (herein after – “Norilsk Nickel”, “the company” or “the group”), the world’s largest nickel and palladium producer, announces preliminary consolidated production results for the first quarter of 2013.

Overall saleable nickel production in the first quarter of 2013 amounted to 72 thousand metric tonnes as compared to 76 thousand metric tonnes in the first quarter of 2012. The reduction of total volume in the reported period was due to short fall in delivery of raw materials to Kola MMC and Norilsk Nickel Harjavalta refinery.

Overall saleable copper production in the first quarter of 2013 totaled 91 thousand metric tonn es
representing a 3% increase as compared to the corresponding period of 2012.

In the reporting period the company produced 588 thousand troy ounces of palladium.

In the reporting period the group produced 140 thousand troy ounces of platinum.

Russian operations
In the first quarter of 2013, the Polar and Kola Divisions in Russia produced 56.5 thousand metric tonnes of nickel, which represents a 4% decrease as compared to the first quarter of 2012.

The decrease in nickel production in the reporting period was caused by short fall in delivery of import raw materials and high - grade matte from the Polar Division to Kola Division. The reason of short fall delivery of high - grade matte from the Polar Division was off - scheduled repair work in Oktyabrsky mine and Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant.

The decrease of nickel production is expected to be compensated in future: the company targets to produce 230 - 235 thousand tonnes of nickel at Russian operations by the end of 2013 as it was previously announced.

The volumes of copper production in the first quarter of 2013 were 5% higher as compared to the
Corresponding period of 2012 and reached 88.8 thousand metric tonnes.

In the reporting period the Kola and Polar Divisions produced 572 thousand troy ounces of palladium and 137 thousand troy ounces of platinum. The key reason of metal output reduction was accumulation of stockpiles in the unfinished stage. The aforementioned production decrease
is expected to be compensated in the following quarter.


Norilsk Nickel Finland
In the first quarter of 2013, the Norilsk Nickel Harjavalta refinery in Finland produced 11.3 thousand metric tonnes of nickel, being 14% lower than in the first quarter of 2012. Reduction was caused by short fall in delivery of high - grade matte from BOHA due to long stoppages fir repair at Boliden plant, short fall in delivery of concentrate from

Talvivaara facing environmental challenges in the mine as well as delay in delivery of high - grade matte from BCL.

Norilsk Nickel Australia
In the first quarter of 2013, Lake Johnston produced 1.7 thousand tonnes of nickel in concentrate which represent a 6% increase as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. 

Norilsk Nickel Africa
In the first quarter of 2013, the production of nickel in concentrate by Tati Nickel totaled 2.2 thousand metric tonnes.

The decrease of nickel production is explained by reduction of metal content in the processed ore.

The production of nickel in concentrate by Nkomati (reported on 50% basis) in the first quarter of 2013 totaled 2.7 thousand metric tonnes, which significantly exceeds the corresponding results of the previous year (+52%). High production indicators were achieved by the stable work of plants and the growth of nickel recovery by 11%.