Polar Division of «Norilsk Nickel» MMC (Norilsk, Russia):

Bylkov A. V., Chief Production Engineer of Taimyr mine, phone: +7 (3919) 37-35-77
Kositsyn A. V., Deputy Chief Engineer of Taimyr mine

This article shares the history of mastering of Oktyabrskoe copper-nickel ore deposit. There are considered the stages of construction and formation of Taimyr mine. Start-up complexes for the mine construction project are characterized. There are shown the prospects of mine development. The process of construction of Taimyr mine began in 1974. Technical project foresaw the following processes:
-introduction of four start-up complexes with the beginning of second workings in 1982;
-stepwise driving of mine up to the rated capacity of 3.5 mln. t of rich ore.
The first start-up complex was set in operation by the State Committee on December 30, 1982. The second start-up complex was set in operation in December, 1984. The technical project, which was designed in 1975, became the basis of mine construction. The process of this construction had been finished in February, 1996, when the VI start-up complex was set in operation.
Nowadays, Taimyr mine is the structural unit of Polar division of «Norilsk Nickel» MMC.
The mine holds the extraction of only rich copper-nickel ores from the central part of Oktyabrskoe deposit.
From the beginning of operating process of mine, the following results have been achieved:
-more than 420 km of various mine works have been driven;
-more than 18 mln. m³ of rock mass has been fallen;
-more than 70 mln. t of rich ore has been extracted;
-near 17 mln. m³ of the filling solution has been laid;
-more than 150 km of mine workings are constantly exploited.
Among all enterprises of «Norilsk Nickel» MMC, Taimyr mine has the largest reserves of rich ores. The process of increasing of rich ores extraction to 3.9 mln. t per year is planned to be started in 2021, according to approved development strategy of the Polar Division of «Norilsk Nickel» MMC. This operation is planned to be held during the simultaneous decreasing of the number of workers and cost prise of ore, due to increasing of efficiency, modernization of production and improvement of management systems. From the beginning of 2024, there is planned to start the extraction of ingrained ores, which reserves are more than 400 mln. t.