Stevo, Agree, it WAS an amazing mine - could basically direct...

Stevo,
Agree, it WAS an amazing mine - could basically direct ship the ore without concentrating. I was there late, until Norilsk took over and trust me, the underground was mined well. The grades were not as high with depth and with all of the issues referred to, it became bloody hard work. There was also a lot of drilling done to try to extend the life but without much success.
The disseminated project was the only way to keep the mine running and there was the potential for a repeat deposit (disseminated) that could be accessed from underground. This did not eventuate either.
As they say, a mine has a finite life and it is the smart manager who decides when to walk away before wasting hard earned profits on "flogging the dead horse"
Just my opinions