Norilsk is the world's biggest nickel and palladium producer, having overtaken Inco several years ba

Norilsk is the world's biggest nickel and palladium producer, having overtaken Inco several years back. Since data first emerged from the ex-Soviet Union in the early nineties, it has established itself as one of the world's single biggest ambient air polluters - if not the biggest. Indeed, despite early technological assistance from outside Russia (notably from Finaland's Outokumpu Oy), its contribution to the country's sulphur dioxide burden has increased in relative terms.

Norilsk is run by a shady Russian industrial conglomerate called Interros, though its board includes, among others, an ex-senior official of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and its auditors are Deloitte and Touche - reflecting the fact that the company rasies a considerable amount of capital on London's Stock Exchange. As well as its operations on the indigenous territory of the Kola peninsular, Norilsk is also a major player in New Caledonia.

Meanwhile Norilsk has put in a bid for the virtually bankrupt Stillwater Mining company - the USA's biggest platinum and palladium group metals producer whose largest single shareholder, with 8.9%, is another British institution - Barclays Capital Corp. According to Mineweb (April 17th 2003) Barclay's is also "Norilsk's friendly institution". Obviously murkiness isn't confined just to the air in Kola.