Permafrost
Experts estimate that the area of frozen ground in Russia totals about 11 million sq km, covering almost two thirds of the country. Permafrost covers mostly Eastern Siberia and the Zabaykalsky Region. Average monthly winter temperatures range from —10 °C to —20 °C in the north of European Russia and from —40 °C to —50 °C in the northern regions of Eastern Siberia.
Nornickel operates in a permafrost environment. The Norilsk Division’s facilities are located in areas completely covered by permafrost, which can reach up to 500 m deep. The permafrost on the Kola Peninsula and in the Zabaykalsky Region can reach 25 m deep with isolated and scattered patches of thawed soil.
Permafrost is at risk of thawing as a result of global warming, which would reduce the bearing capacity of buildings and structures built upon it, eventually leading to accidents. To manage this risk, the Company pays particular attention to monitoring the condition of buildings and structures. Specifically, it:
To ensure ongoing control over the risk factor of permafrost degradation, Nornickel has deployed a monitoring system that covers two key areas:
These activities are carried out by the Buildings and Structures Monitoring Centre in Norilsk and the Department for Scientific and Technical Support for Building and Structure Operation in the Far North. All information is stored and processed in a unified information and diagnostic system deployed at the Norilsk production site, enabling the Company’s managers to use consolidated data for management decision making.
Background permafrost monitoring enables the assessment of permafrost degradation trends in natural landscapes outside urban areas.
The system is conducted by the Company since 2023 in partnership with Fedorovsky Polar State University.
Goals:
To date, studies have covered an area of about 8 thousand sq km stretching from the Norilsk Industrial District to Dudinka, and identified 11 testing grounds that best reflect the diversity of landscape and geocryological conditions. In 2023–2024, the Company drilled 20 monitoring wells with a depth of 10 to 20 m and three wells with a depth of 200 m to assess permafrost characteristics and determine the parameters of terrestrial heat flow. Before that in 2022, Nornickel also drilled five 200-m wells in populated areas as part of its permafrost monitoring programme.
1 IDS – Automated information-and-diagnostic system
The system monitors the condition of foundations and load-bearing structures of the Company’s core production and infrastructure facilities.
Is conducted in the Norilsk Industrial District since 2020.
Goals:
Phased roll out of permafrost-based foundations monitoring system in Norilsk Industrial District: