The Norilsk Nickel group continues toimplement anintegrated system ofquality control and environmental management atits main production facilities and bases.

For this reason atthe end of2004the company formed aseparate department for mergers and acquisitions led byVice Chairman Leonid Rozhetskin and Deputy General Director Dmitry Razumov.

The new department will besupervised byLeonid Rozhetskin, Deputy Chairman ofthe Management Board.

The project isto becompleted inminimum 10years. Total sum ofinvestments isestimated at$100 million.

MMC Norilsk Nickel, Gold Fields and Harmony announce that they have engaged inpreliminary communications inorder toexplore alternative transactions, which could bemutually acceptable and beneficial toall parties, relating tothe current offer byHarmony for Gold Fields.