OREANDA-NEWS. 9-month results for 2006 show a 5% decrease in mined ore from the same period in 2005 to 1,962 th. tons.  This decrease was primarily due to a 7% drop in open-pit mined ore (to 1,609 th. oz.).  At the same time, ore mined from underground operations increased 5% to 353 th. oz.

According to the press service of OJSC “Polymetal”, the drop in open-pit mining volumes was due to a temporary problem at the Vorontsovskoye deposit related to pit drainage. The increase in volume from underground mining was primarily because of positive results at Dukat.

Processed ore increased 14% in the first nine months of 2006 (compared to the first nine months of 2005) and reached 2,186 th. tons. This increase is primarily due to two factors:  increased production capacity at Khakanjinskoye and the growth in production at Vorontsovskoye’s Stage II.