Author 1:
Name & Surname: Podkuiko N. V.
Company: Polar Division of PJSC “MMC “NORILSK NICKEL” (Norilsk, Russia)
Work Position: Principal Surveyor, Director of Surveying Center
Contacts: e-mail: podkuykonv@yandex.ru

Author 2:
Name & Surname: Simonin P. V.
Company: Polar Division of PJSC “MMC “NORILSK NICKEL” (Norilsk, Russia)
Work Position: Head of the Mining and Geology Management

Author 3:
Name & Surname: Vokhmin S. A.
Company: Institute of Mining, Siberian Federal University (Krasnoyarsk, Russia)
Work Position: Head of Undeground and Mining Constrruction Chair
Scientific Degree: Professor, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

Author 4:
Name & Surname: Zaitseva E. V.
Company: Institute of Mining, Siberian Federal University (Krasnoyarsk, Russia)
Work Position: Assistant

Placing emphasis on the importance of identification and rating of mineral reserves based on their preparedness for mining (opened-up, being prepared and ready for mining), the authors state that the current procedures available for determination of the related standards are out of date, disagree with the modern economical and technical conditions of performance and growth of mining business, and need updating. The authors present the proper updated procedure developed for rating of mineral reserves based on the degree of their preparedness for mining, considering probabilistic character of both the first and second mining and the so-called reliability factor KR of process steps and production operations. The new rating procedure, its contents and standards for opened-up, prepared and ready for mining are worked out and available for each mine (production unit), underground mining method and geotechnology for various type copper-nickel ore within the mining lease of the Polar Division of Norilsk Nickel.

The authors highly appreciate contribution of V. V. Tsatskin, Deputy Director, M. S. Filippov, Chief Expert, Surveying Center, Polar Division, and S. V. Cherkasov, Chief Mine Surveyor Taimyrsky, as well as G. S. Kurchin, Assistant Professor, Mine and Underground Construction Department, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, and S. V. Cherkasov, Student, Institute of Mining, Geology and Geotechnology, Siberian Federal University.

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