Moscow, March 9, 2021 — Nornickel, the world’s largest producer of palladium and high-grade nickel and a major producer of platinum and copper, continues working on blocking the groundwater inflow at Oktiabrsky and Taymir mines.

“By now, one of the mine workings has been filled with hardening backfill mixture. In the coming week, once the mixture will harden, water valves will be shut and the inflow of groundwater should stop”, said Senior Vice President, Head of Norilsk Division, Nikolay Utkin.

The Company is planning to consider the recovery schedule of the two mines once the current initiatives are completed by March 16th.

The Norilsk Concentrator is currently fully idled and undergoing necessary repairs. Nornickel is planning to restore the disseminated ore processing circuit at the concentrator by upgrading the loading and processing flow by March 16th. The facility is currently being inspected by Federal Service for Environmental, Technological, and Nuclear Supervision (Rostekhnadzor) and the Company’s internal technical auditors. The timing of the relaunch of the concentrator will be decided upon completion of these two inspections.

While the Norilsk Concentrator remains idled, ore mining operations at Zapolyarny mine, South Cluster project, are ongoing.

Nornickel continues working on blocking the groundwater inflow at Oktiabrsky and Taymir mines