MOSCOW – Russia's Norilsk Nickel on Tuesday said it will consider a recovery schedule for its two main mines, where operations remain partly suspended because of a continuing inflow of groundwater, by March 16.
Nornickel, the world's largest palladium producer and a leading nickel producer, partly suspended operations at the Oktyabrsky and Taimyrsky mines in Siberia on February 24 after it detected subterranean water flowing into one of them.
The $48-billion company has faced criticism over environmental issues and production safety after a major fuel leak at its power plant near the Arctic city of Norilsk and a series of smaller incidents over the past year.
"By now, one of the mine workings has been filled with hardening backfill mixture. In the coming week, once the mixture hardens, water valves will be shut and the inflow of groundwater should stop," Nikolay Utkin, Nornickel senior vice president, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Nornickel previously said it would calculate production losses at the mines, which account for 36% of ore mined by Nornickel in Russia, by Tuesday.