orilsk Nickel launches operations at Lake Johnston, Australia

MMC Norilsk Nickel (hereinafter – MMC Norilsk Nickel, the Company or the Group) announced that preparatory works to start the mine and concentrator operations at Lake Johnston, Australia have been completed in accordance with the Company’s production plan.

Concentrator has been launched and operates normally; it is planned to reach full output capacity in 2011. The ore will be supplied from Maggie Hays mine.

Nickel concentrate production is expected to total 25 thousand tons by the end of 2011. Concentrate will be further delivered to the Company’s processing facilities in Finland (NN Harjavalta plant).

Lake Johnston operations are located 500 kilometers east of Perth (Australia’s western coast). The operations include a mine and a concentrator plant with capacity to process 1.5 million tons of ore per year. In total 180 people (including contractors) are working on a rotational basis at the subsidiary.

Lake Johnston is the first of the Group’s Australian assets to resume operations following their halt in 2009. Resuming operations of other Australian assets is planned once the economic efficiency analysis is completed.