Norilsk Mining Research Articles

Производство знания и наследия как борьба с неопределенностью: кейс коренных народов Таймыра в 1920–1930-е гг.

The process of accumulating knowledge about the indigenous communities of Taimyr and the formation of museum collections is examined through the optics of uncertainty studies using the example of several cases covering the activities of the Committee of the North, the Krasnoyarsk Local History Museum (the State Museum of the Yenisei Region) and the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in the first decades after the revolution. The main purpose of the study was an attempt to establish how the museification of household items and the study of traditional life practices recognized at the state level as “backward” and “archaic” in the logic of the Bolsheviks were supposed to bring victory over “backwardness”, the transition to a sedentary lifestyle, collectivization and modernization of the economy, integration of the indigenous population into Soviet structures. It seems true to assert that the power of experience created by a museum or other cultural institution was used to maintain the narrative of the imminent transition of indigenous Northerners to socialism, which was supposed to mark the predictability of life. Having studied the activities of the local history post of the Khatanga cultural base and the museum-expedition work of famous ethnographers and Northern historians B.O. Dolgikh and A.A. Popova, the author comes to the conclusion that the struggle with uncertainty took place in two dimensions: a) the very accumulation of information about nomads allowed the authorities to more effectively determine the ways and forms of territorial management; b) the representation of the cultures of the northern nomads in the “modernizing” discourse explicitly represented the path from the “primitive” state “on the verge of extinction” to socialism and “civilization”. The work also showed that the very signification of things and practices through their transformation into exhibits largely laid the foundations of the Soviet policy of working with indigenous heritage, which was developed in subsequent years. The research is based on archival materials of the Committee of the North in the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) and publications devoted to expeditionary activities and the collection of Taimyr museum collections of the period under study. The author also expresses gratitude to her colleagues who worked on the research commissioned by the Russian Geographical Society “The history of the settlement of indigenous small-numbered peoples of Taimyr in the territories of the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine and related infrastructure in the 1920s and 1980s”, project manager D.A. Funk, as well as A.S. Basov, S.O. Kovalsky and A.A. Pushin. The author declares no conflict of interests.

Pavlinsky Geliy Veniaminovich (1935–2023)

Pavlinsky Geliy Veniaminovich (1935–2023)

Indigenous peoples of Taimyr: “The right to live on their own land”

The main source for the preparation of the article was the field materials collected by the authors in Taimyr in April ― May 2021. The in-depth interviews obtained during the expeditionary research, coupled with a blitz sur-vey, reveal the problems and reasons for the difficult economic and ethno-cultural situation of indigenous peoples in their own interpretation. For a long time, inaccessibility of Taimyr contributed to the preservation of its surface and underground resources, which supported the existence of the traditional economic complexes of five indige-nous peoples (Dolgans, Nenets, Nganasans, Evenks, Enets). The beginning of the active development of the Taimyr Arctic by industrial companies in the last decade has become a challenge for the indigenous population: all ethno-preserving industries ― hunting for wild reindeer, fishing, reindeer breeding ― have been threatened. The sharp decline of wild reindeer population in Taimyr is perceived by local residents as a catastrophe. Among the main reasons, along with the deterioration of the environmental situation associated with the accidents at the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Plant and the appearance of new subsoil users in the Taimyr tundras, poaching and shooting of wild reindeer by local residents that significantly exceeds the quotas are listed. The measures taken by the state (quotas for hunting wild deer and fishing, social benefits) do not solve the problems of preserv-ing the traditional nature management and lifestyle, with which the indigenous population of Taimyr is directly connected by the ideas of “the right to work”, “the right to live on one's own land” and “the right to identity”. De-spite the insignificance of the preferences, benefits for people leading the traditional way of life are causing dis-content in the ethnic communities. The growth of social tension is also due to the chronic problem of unemploy-ment and a deplorable state of many Taimyr villages, the prospect of preserving of which directly depends on the state of the biological resources.

The influence of land use on the spectrum of landform transformations (a case study of the Russian Arctic)

Human activity has a profound effect on relief. Therefore, it is crucial to study the anthropogenic relief transformation. The field of study is relatively young, although rapidly developing. This work outlines the influence of human activity on the relief. A vital point of the work was to identify the differences in the influence on morphogenesis by varying types of land use. Norilsk mining district was chosen as a~study area because of its intensive and complex human activities, vast mineral resources, and a large population, which implies an extensive anthropogenic transformation of the area. As a result of the research, land use types with the most profound influence on relief have been identified. Moreover, both the direct and indirect effects on morphogenesis, as well as the resulting processes, have been outlined.

Динамика северных экосистем Норильского промышленного района в условиях техногенного воздействия и потепления климата (обзор исследований)

The Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Plant for the production of nickel, platinum and palladium is the main pollutant in the Arctic. The nature and degree of its impact on natural ecosystems over a long, since 1935, history of its work, varied along with changes in production volumes under different forms of ownership, and the response of ecosystems developed against the background of climate warming. Based on a review of studies carried out in the region, periods with different ratios of technogenic and natural factors in the dynamics of ecosystems are distinguished, which also differ in the methods of their study. In the second half of the 20th century, in the 1970s–1990s, an increase in sulfur dioxide emissions into the atmosphere led to the drying up of larch forests at a distance of up to 120 km southeast of the plant, recorded by aerial photography and forest pathological studies, as well as by a map of the ecosystems state, compiled by Landsat imagery and MSU field research. At the end of the 20th century, after the collapse of the USSR, an interruption in the operation of the plant, which passed from state to private ownership, led to a decrease in production rates and emissions into the atmosphere. This was combined with climate warming, which intensified in the Arctic regions. Complex expeditionary work of Siberian scientists in the first decades of the XXI century, including geochemical and dendrochronological studies, fixed the boundaries of zones of varying degrees of disturbance of ecosystems, but at the same time showed that along with the continuing degradation of vegetation, partial restoration of ecosystems is taking place. At the end of the second decade of the XXI century, Russian and American scientists, based on the processing of large volumes of remote sensing data, based on a multi-temporal analysis of vegetation indices, discovered the “greening” of low habitats in the Norilsk region as a result of secondary succession with a complex interaction of technogenic and natural, primarily climatic, factors.

UPGRADING OF MAGMATIC SULFIDES, REVISITED

Abstract There has been vigorous debate for several decades about whether the extreme enrichments of platinum group elements (PGEs) in some magmatic sulfide deposits could have resulted from simple equilibration of sulfide liquid with silicate melt. Key examples include the Ni-Cu-Pd mineralization in the Norilsk mining camp, the UG2 and Merensky reef Pt-Pd deposits in the Bushveld Complex, the Pd-rich J-M reef of the Stillwater Complex, and the Skaergaard Pd-Au mineralization. It was argued historically that the observed PGE tenors in these latter deposits are too high to be consistent with simple equilibration of sulfide and silicate melt. A commonly cited mechanism for increasing PGE tenor in magmatic sulfide is the upgrading of initially low tenor sulfide by allowing a small volume of sulfide to react with successive batches of fresh, previously undepleted silicate magma. Here we review several previous models for sulfide upgrading in light of recent changes in accepted values of the partition coefficients governing PGE exchange between sulfide and silicate, and we critically examine the physical scenarios implicit in each previous model. We show that, although sulfide upgrading may occur in natural settings such as fractional melting of the mantle, during the formation of sulfide accumulations from magmas it is unlikely to have effects that can be distinguished from simple one-stage batch equilibration. Even the most PGE-rich deposits currently known have compositions that can easily be accounted for by the simple one-stage batch process, with the possible exception of the Skaergaard Pd mineralization. It is generally not possible to use the measured composition of accumulations of magmatic sulfide to infer that sulfide upgrading has or has not occurred.

Fisheries research of the Pyasina river basin

At the end of April 2020, the largest man — made disaster in the Russian Arctic occurred-a diesel fuel spill in Norilsk. Oil products on the Ambarnaya river got to the lake. Pyasino (source of the river of the same name). To determine the extent of damage to the aquatic ecosystem of the Pyasina basin, it is necessary to know the nature and direction of previous research in the fisheries field. The aim of the work is to analyze the available open source publications in the field of fisheries research in the Pyasina basin. The history of ichthyological and hydrobiological studies of the Pyasina river basin (a large watercourse on the Taimyr Peninsula) is considered. Information is provided that the basin of this river is poorly studied in terms of fisheries due to its location beyond the Arctic circle. The chronology of fisheries research from the Foundation of the Yenisei ichthyological laboratory (Krasnoyarsk) in 1908 to 2020 is given. It is noted that the greatest interest in studying the basin of this river is shown in connection with the development of the Norilsk mining and metallurgical combine and the organization of the Federal state budgetary institution «United Directorate of Taimyr reserves». The role of individual scientific organizations in the study of water ecosystems of the Pyasina river basin is shown. The most significant contribution to the fisheries survey of the river basin was made by the Siberian scientific fisheries station (now the Krasnoyarsk branch of the all-Russian research Institute of fisheries and Oceanography), MSU, TSU. The publications of employees of these organizations contain materials on the study of phytoplankton and zooplankton, zoobenthos, their production characteristics, the biology of a number of species, the Stingray of larvae, features of the development of semi-passable ichthyofauna, materials on the genetic features of individual populations of whitefish, biological and morphological features of whitefish and char fauna, fish Parasitology, the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and others. Information is provided on the number of zooplankton species and forms, including 28 forms. It is shown that the composition of the ichthyofauna of the river basin to date, 38 species of fish are known.

Experimental and numerical study of gas-to-particle conversion in an emission plume from mining and metallurgical industry based on airborne sounding in a polar atmosphere

The results of an airborne survey of plumes from the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Plant by an Optik-É AN-30 aircraft laboratory on November 10, 2002 are discussed. Most pollutants are blown out of the city in the gas phase in the form of acidic oxides (mainly sulfur). Mapping of the substances is performed along the main trajectory of air mass transport at a distance of 20-140 km from the city. Horizontal flights were performed at 400, 600, 800, and 1200 m above sea level at equidistant traverses (from 3 to 6 at each height) normally to the main flow direction. Most pollution was concentrated above the 400-m level. An active gas-to-particle conversion was observed at a distance of 60-100 km from the emission source. In the plume areas distant from the source there was a sulfate anion increase from 4% to 51% in aerosol composition weight and a calcium decrease from 64% to 9%. Under the conditions of low humidity in the polar atmosphere in winter, SO2 is apparently removed from the air mainly due to dry heterogeneous condensation with calcium oxide as the main counteragent of industrial origin. The concentrations of these active pollutants in the plume are well approximated by a two-parameter transformation model.

Determination of the intensity of aerosol emissions of elements from the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Plant

Results obtained via monitoring of time variations in the multielemental composition of atmospheric aerosols are presented. It has been demonstrated that the monitoring data can be used to determine the intensity of emission of certain elements from distant sources.

Hydrochemical Peculiarities of Bog Ecosystems in the North-Siberian Lowland

Surface waters of eutrophic bogs (fens) in the North-Siberian (Taimyr) lowland are characterized by hydrocarbonate, sulfate as well as hydro carbonate-sulfate calcium-magnesium composition. They relate to the type of oxygen waters, mainly, to the class of neutral weakly alkaline and to the family of ultrafresh and fresh waters and to the kind of waters poor with dissolved organic matter. Natural hydrochemical background of bog ecosystems makes in heavy metals in the first approximation: Co–0.16, Pb–0.57, Ni–4.67 and Cu–5.94 mkg/L. In most cases the surface waters are not polluted by heavy metals. Bog waters located in immediate closeness from Norilsk mining and smelting industrial complex are polluted by nickel at mid-level.

10.1007/s11823-008-1010-4

The results of a study on the behavior of macrocomponents and admixtures at directed crystallization of two specimens of the Fe-Ni-S (Pt, Pd) system are presented in this paper. The composition of the specimens belonged to the areas of primary crystallization of a monosulphide solid solution ((FezNi1 − z)S1 + δ) and taenite (Fe-Ni solid solution with the structure γ-Fe), which were similar in composition to nickel concentrate and nickel matte from the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Company (MMC). In this paper, data on the component distribution along the crystallized specimens are given, and the dependence of the component distribution coefficients on the melt composition along the crystallization path is determined. The conditions under which one-phased crystallization becomes the crystallization of binary eutectics and then transforms to a four-phased invariant reaction are also determined. Some bounds of the possibility to use crystallization processes for the separation of phases and components in the investigated system in a quasi-equilibrium regime of specimen solidification are analyzed.

Kinetics of Ni3S2 sulfide dissolution in solutions of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids

The kinetics of Ni3S2 sulfide (heazlewoodite) dissolution in solutions of hydrochloric and sulfuric acids is studied. The process under study in the temperature range of 30–90°C is found to occur in a kinetic regime and is controlled by the corresponding chemical reactions of the Ni3S2 decomposition by solutions of inorganic acids (E a = 67–92 kJ/mol, or 16–22 kcal/mol). The only exception is the Ni3S2-HCl system at elevated temperatures (60–90°C). In this case, the apparent activation energy decreases sharply to 8.8 kJ/mol (2.1 kcal/mol), which is explained by the catalytic effect of gaseous chlorine formed under these conditions. The studies performed are related to the physicochemical substantiation of the hydrometallurgical processing of the copper-nickel converter mattes produced in the industrial cycle of the Norilsk Mining Company.

Bacterial oxidation of ferrous iron at low temperatures

This study comprises the first report of ferrous iron oxidation by psychrotolerant, acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria capable of growing at 5 degrees C. Samples of mine drainage-impacted surface soils and sediments from the Norilsk mining region (Taimyr, Siberia) and Kristineberg (Skellefte district, Sweden) were inoculated into acidic ferrous sulfate media and incubated at 5 degrees C. Iron oxidation was preceded by an approximately 3-month lag period that was reduced in subsequent cultures. Three enrichment cultures were chosen for further work and one culture designated as isolate SS3 was purified by colony isolation from a Norilsk enrichment culture for determining the kinetics of iron oxidation. The 16S rRNA based phylogeny of SS3 and two other psychrotolerant cultures, SS5 from Norilsk and SK5 from Northern Sweden, was determined. Comparative analysis of amplified 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the psychrotolerant cultures aligned within Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. The rate constant of iron oxidation by growing cultures of SS3 was in the range of 0.0162-0.0104 h(-1) depending on the initial pH. The oxidation kinetics followed an exponential pattern, consistent with a first order rate expression. Parallel iron oxidation by a mesophilic reference culture of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was extremely slow and linear. Precipitates harvested from the 5 degrees C culture were identified by X-ray diffraction as mixtures of schwertmannite (ideal formula Fe(8)O(8)(OH)(6)SO(4)) and jarosite (KFe(3)(SO(4))(2)(OH)(6)). Jarosite was much more dominant in precipitates produced at 30 degrees C.

Reconstruction and refit of the UST’-Khantaiskaya HPP

In November 2005 the Ust’-Khantaiskaya hydropower plant, which is one of the world’s northernmost ones, celebrated 35 years since the beginning of commercial operation. The Ust’-Khantaiskaya HPP was built in a record-short term even for that time (1963 – 1976) and commissioned with the following parameters: installed capacity 441 MW, mean annual output 2.032 billion kW · h, hydraulic turbines PL5a-VM-410, hydrogenerators SV 780 137-32. The Ust’-Khantaiskaya HPP, together with the Kureya HPP, covers over 40% of the demand of the “Norilskenergo” power system, where the main consumer is the Norilsk Mining Company, and also performs the functions of emergency and frequency backup and frequency control. In addition, the Ust’-Khantaiskaya and Kureyskaya HPP supply electric power to the nearest settlements and the town of Igarka. The output of the Ust’-Khantaiskaya HPP covers 20% of the total power consumption in the region. The TE-NE power center has no electric links with the UPS of Siberia, from which it is removed by 1500 km. Such links will be absent in the foreseeable future. Due to the absence of operating conditions of a synchronous condenser, the units of the Ust’-Khantaiskaya HPP serve for up to 20% of the time with deviations from the design conditions at reduced efficiency. The hydraulic turbines of type PL-60 5a-V-410 produced by the Syzran Turbine Plant were mounted in 1970 – 1972. The flow-thorough part of a turbine at the Ust’-Khantaiskaya HPP with runner PL5a is designed so that the blades of the distributor are located at a shorter distance with respect to the runner than it is required today. The closeness of the runner to the distributor is responsible for the fact that the nonuniformity of the flow from the distributor is transferred to the vane system of the runner causing dynamic stresses of vane frequency (75 Hz) in the vanes [1]. It can be seen from Table 1 and Fig. 1 that maximum vibrations arise in the optimum (with respect to the power) zone of operation of the unit (Pu = 50 – 60 MW). Dynamic loads of vane frequency are the main cause of accumulation of fatigue in the metal of the vanes and of the kinematics of the runner and have repeatedly caused failures at units equipped with runners of type PL5a. For this reason fracture (separations, cracks) of the peripheral tip of runner vanes occurred in the initial period of operation of the turbines. In 1973 – 1974 the peripheral tips of the vanes were trimmed, which resulted in further decrease in the efficiency of the turbines. However, in 1979 vane No. 3 of unit 2G failed (half of the vane broke from the root section over diagonal to the exit tip). The vane was replaced. Analysis of the damage of main assemblies of the hydraulic turbines of the Ust’-Khantaiskaya HPP (Table 2) in the entire period of operation shows that breakage of exit tips of vanes was accompanied by damage inevitably appearing Power Technology and Engineering Vol. 39, No. 6, 2005

Sulfate Reduction Potential in Sediments in the Norilsk Mining Area, Northern Siberia

The purpose of this study was to characterize the distribution and activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria in tailings and sediments impacted by effluents from mining and smelting operations in the Norilsk area in northern Siberia. The Norilsk mining complex involves three smelter operations, a hydrometallurgical plant, and extensive tailings areas located in the permafrost zone. Sulfate reduction rates measured with a 35SO4 2− tracer technique under various in-situ conditions ranged from 0.05 to 30 nmol S cm−3 day−1. Acetate and glucose addition greatly stimulated sulfate reduction, whereas lactate had less effect. The most pronounced stimulation of sulfate reduction (6.5-fold) was observed with phosphate amendment. Most-probable-number (MPN) counts of sulfate-reducing bacteria in media with glucose, ethanol, lactate, and acetate as electron donors were generally highest at around 107 cells ml−1. The actual MPN counts varied with the sample, electron donor, and incubation conditions (pH 7.2 vs. pH 3.5; 28°C vs. 4°C). Enrichment cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria were established from a sample that showed the highest rate of sulfate reduction. After multiple serial transfers, the dominant sulfate-reducers were identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization using genus and group-specific 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes. Desulfobulbus spp. prevailed in ethanol and lactate enrichments and the Desulfosarcina-Desulfococcus group dominated in acetate and benzoate enrichments. Psychrophilic Desulfotalea-Desulfofustis and moderately psychrophilic Desulforhopalus spp. were identified in enrichments incubated at 4°C, but they were also found in mesophilic enrichments.

Zoning of Landscapes Exposed to Technogenic Emissions from the Norilsk Mining and Smelting Works

In this study, we have analyzed the degradation of pretundra forests and distinguished the levels of pollution using ground-based and remote-sensing data. The study region is located in the area exposed to emissions from the Norilsk Mining and Smelting Works. The main components of emissions are sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and heavy metals. Currently, the zone of damaged forests extends for more than 200 km. The comparison of the zones of degradation of pretundra vegetation distinguished in satellite images with the results of ground-based observations yielded high similarity coefficients (0.73–0.83) of the Kappa statistics. The zones of vegetation state were classified by NDVI values. The images from the NOAA/AVHRR satellite may be used for delimiting the zones of vegetation degradation by the proposed method.

Development and Assimilation of Technology of Obtaining Electrolytic Cobalt from Industrial Products

At Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical plant up to now electrolytic cobalt K-0 has been obtained from commodity cobalt hydroxide. This hydroxide was dissolved in hydrochloric acid and was purified from Fe, Cu, and Ni by extraction with sodium salts of synthetic monocarboxylic acids. A new technology has been developed to use the industrial product of the main cobalt production, i.e., the solution after purification from manganese, instead of commodity hydroxide. This solution contains sulphate and chloride ions. For obtaining electrolytic cobalt from this solution it is necessary to convert the sulphates to chlorides. This is conducted by extraction of cobalt (and heavy metals impurities) with sodium salts of SMA and then by stripping with hydrochloric acid. This procedure allows obtaining the concentrated cobalt chloride solutions and separate light metals. After the conversion the obtained solution is purified from copper by extraction with the cobalt salt of SMA and from nickel by extraction with a mixture of non-chelating aldoximes and SMA. This mixture of extractants provides an effective purification of cobalt solutions. The separation coefficient pN/c is 25-30. Use of this technology at the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical plant has allowed the reduction of the reagent expenses and improved the purification from nickel. In addition extraction equipment has been decreased more than two times at the same productivity. The suggested procedure of conversion allows the use of solutions of practically any anion composition for obtaining cobalt.

Technology of Chloride-Ion Utilization from Filtrates of Carbonate Circuit of Nickel Production

The problem of sulphate solution purification, in particular solutions of carbonate branch after nickel precipitation, from chloride ion can be solved effectively by extraction process. Trialkylamine available commercially (TAA) (alkyl—C8-C10 and C7-C9) has been used in this study. The dependences of chloride ion extraction on temperature, pH and composition of aqueous phase, and composition of organic phase have been investigated. Triethylbenzene, kerosene, diesel oil, syntin with different additions (2-ethylhexanol, hexanol, tributylphosphate) were used as the solvents. The optimum composition of organic phase (0.5-0.6 M TAA in kerosene with addition of 2-ethylhexanol) and the conditions of chloride ion extraction from sulphate solutions have been determined. Chloride ion stripping from organic phase was conducted by alkali solutions to obtain a concentrated solution of sodium chloride. The technology of chloride ion recovery from filtrates of carbonate branch of nickel plant (Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical plant) has been developed and tested on an industrial scale. The initial filtrate contained in g/l: chloride ion I6-I8, sulphate ion 60-65, impurities of metals. After purification, the chloride ion concentration in solution was less than 0.3 g/l (chloride ion recovery was more than 95%). After stripping of chloride ion with alkali solution, the stripping solutions containing 200-220 g/l NaCl and < 2 g/l sulphate ion. The stripping solutions underwent an electrolysis to obtain chlorine and sodium hydroxide solutions. The developed technology allows recovery of chloride ion from sulphate solution.

Tractor Transport in the Soviet Arctic

Mechanical transport was first used by the author of this article at the time of the investigation of the Norilsk mining field (Lat. 69° 20′ N., Long. 88° 8′ E.) in 1925 for the purpose of taking goods from the port of unloading to the village of Dudinsk on the River Yenisei over a distance of 85 km. across tundra. At that time the tractor industry had only just come into being in the Soviet. Special machines for cross-country freight did not exist, so imported caterpillar tractors of the Reno make were used, drawing sledges freighted up to five tons. Certain constructional defects in the machines, and particularly in the sledges, as well as lack of experience in the work, combined to make the results far from satisfactory at this stage. At the end of the winter we had only succeeded in making one full journey and had transported only ten tons of profitable cargo on three machines. Nevertheless, this first experiment was valuable in that it demonstrated that, given mechanical improvement, the tractors might revolutionise polar transport. In this case, for instance, three machines had transported rapidly a cargo which would have required a caravan of two hundred and forty reindeer. It was ascertained also by this trial that caterpillar tractors of this type were suitable only for work in the vicinity of a base on smooth and hard roads. For transport over long distances in new and soft snow they were less satisfactory.