Author 1:
Name & Surname: Izosimov P. S.
Company: Polar Division of PJSC “MMC “NORILSK NICKEL” (Norilsk, Russia)
Work Position: Director, Zapolyarny Mine
Contacts: phone: +7 (3919) 26-94-54

Author 2:
Name & Surname: Makarov V. O.
Company: Polar Division of PJSC “MMC “NORILSK NICKEL” (Norilsk, Russia)
Work Position: Chief Engineer, Zapolyarny Mine

Author 3:
Name & Surname: Goncharov I. O.
Company: Polar Division of PJSC “MMC “NORILSK NICKEL” (Norilsk, Russia)
Work Position: Head, Engineering Department, Zapolyarny Mine

Zapolyarny Mine is one of the first mines constructed in the Norilsk Industrial District. Today the Mine belongs in the Polar Division of PJSC “MMC “NORILSK NICKEL”, as a self-sustained production unit engrained in underground and surface mining of impregnated copper–nickel sulfide ore at Norilsk-1 deposit. The article describes the history of Zapolyarny Mine and discusses the technology the Mine uses to get access to ore body and the ore mining methods. In 2014 the first coarse ore facility to compensate mined-out reserves came into operation. Furthermore, surface drainage and sewage disposal plants were put into service in the open pit mine. The enhanced capacity of water removal and water pumping under negative temperatures enabled sustaining of pitwall stability, reduction in moisture content of commercial mineral and overburden rocks, improved safety of mining and haulage machinery, strengthened infrastructure protection from surface water and atmospheric fallout and allowed mining of ore reserves occurring inside the flooding zone. Currently, Zapolyarny Mine is under modernization that includes development of a transportation horizon, getting access to ore reserves in the south of Norilsk-1 deposit, within the mining lease, and gradual transition from electrical haulage to mine dump trucks. In the long view, after 2020 the ore haulage scheme will be completely modified.

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