
Risk management continued
Principal risks and uncertainties
The Group’s principal risks and related preventive controls and
mitigation strategies are set out below. Principal risks and risk
factors are assessed by the Board based on a detailed
understanding of the Company, its markets and the legal,
social, political, economic, technological, environmental and
cultural environments in which we operate, including a robust
consideration of the likelihood of the occurrence and potential
consequences of risk events.
In 2022, we validated the continued importance of our
13principal risks. We have also disclosed the implications for
and impact on several principal risks caused by the
international sanctions.
The principal risks are those that we believe could seriously
affect and prevent the Group from delivering its strategic
objectives. A number of principal risks, such as risks related to
the operation of tailings storage facilities and risks related to
slope wall or underground mine failure could have dramatic
consequences for the Group’s prospects. Nevertheless, these
risks are highly unlikely. We treat these risks with the highest
priority and focus on the development and implementation of
relevant preventive controls and measures to mitigate the
inherent level of these risks when ensuring the Company’s
viability. Appropriate criteria have been included to the
incentive metrics of our Remuneration Policy. To read more
about ESG metrics, see page 144.
Operational risks
1. Production risk Risk level: Risk exposure trend:
Link to strategy:
Risk description and potential effect
The key risks that may adversely affect the
Group’s ability to deliver on its production
plans are:
• Stability of open-pits and underground
mines
• Complex geotechnical conditions
• Lack of quality ore feed for processing
plants
• Inability to achieve planned recoveries
• Lack of design and permit
documentation
• Reduced volumes of concentrate sales
(for detailed data on this risk see
page[XXX]).
Other risks include:
• The failure of our contractors to meet
required performance and deadlines,
as well as to provide sufficient quality
ofworks
• Lack of key materials
• The failure of the supply chain to
procure complex logistics to remote
locations.
Preventive control and mitigation
We continuously monitor the progress of
our production plans, identify and assess
relevant production risks at our
operations, develop and implement risk
management measures in a timely
manner, specifically:
• Proven procedures to develop and
approve mining plans
• Continuous tracking of key materials,
monitoring and prompt analysis of how
our contractors complete their tasks,
as well as proactively developing
alternative options
• Geomechanical surveys for open-pit
and pit-wall stability, control system for
underground mining, including Ground
Penetrating Radars (GPRs) and drones
(UAVs) used for surveys and slope
analysis, and online monitoring of
pit-wall stability and prompt wall
stabilisation
• Flood management measures to
prevent spring floods
• Detailed geomechanical modelling to
process data on grade control and
production drilling
• Monthly mine-to-model reconciliations
to achieve higher grades and minimise
dilution losses
• Geotechnical mapping based on
results of exploration, grade control
sampling and in-fill drilling
• Lab tests to optimise ore and
concentrate processing parameters.
Principal areas of focus in 2022
In the context of pressures caused by
international sanctions, the Company faced
difficulties that directly or indirectly affected
production processes. In the first instance,
mines experienced difficulties with the
supply of goods and materials, mining
equipment and maintenance of Western
equipment owing to the withdrawal of foreign
key suppliers and manufacturing companies
from the Russian market. However, by
engaging alternative suppliers of mining
equipment, the Company managed to avoid
interruptions in the production process and
maintain the pace of production operations.
This was also facilitated by the
implementation of an accelerated mining
equipment programme, including the use of
dismantled equipment as spare parts for
current machinery.
In 2022, in the face of high uncertainty, the
Company was able to ensure stable work at
all mines across the portfolio and met its
production guidance. At Kutyn, production
started ahead of the previously announced
target date and production ramped up at
Nezhda.
2. Construction and development risks Risk level: Risk exposure trend:
Link to strategy:
Risk description and potential effect
Inability to achieve target return on capital
for large investment projects, such as
building new mines and processing
facilities or extension/refurbishment of
existing operating mines, due to:
• Capital expenditure overruns and
failure to meet construction deadlines
(including due to changes in
macroeconomic conditions)
• Delay in commissioning
• Failure to comply with design solutions
during construction
• Inability to achieve design parameters
• Inability to perform construction works
or to commission a construction
object.
Preventive control and mitigation
Approval of investment projects is subject to
materiality criteria, including mandatory
approval by the Board, which ensures that
potential new assets fit the Company’s
strategic goals. The Company uses global
best practice in project management.
Project Committees, including the Company
executive team, make key financial,
technological and organisational decisions
when considering new projects. The Board
regularly reviews progress on key projects,
including completion scorecards and key
project milestones and risks.
Cross-functional project teams include
professionals from head office, regional
operations, Polymetal Engineering and
Polymetal Trading. This enables us to apply
accumulated collective experience in
exploration, design and commissioning of
mining and processing operations. Our
engineering professionals supervise full
observance of design parameters during
construction. The Company has a proven
procedure for obtaining permitting
documents. To ensure the resilient
performance of the engineering teams,
Polymetal implements a professional
assessment, development and motivation
programme.
JORC-compliant Ore Reserves estimates
for new development assets are assured by
external experts and validate all critical
feasibility study assumptions.
Principal areas of focus in 2022
To meet all project construction schedules,
the Group regularly evaluates risks,
including those related to sanctions
restrictions, and implements appropriate
mitigation measures. These measures
mainly concern procuring key equipment
and spare parts from alternative suppliers
and engaging alternative contractors.
In 2022, despite the pressures caused by
international sanctions and supply
difficulties, Polymetal successfully launched
gold production at Kutyn. The start-up was
ahead of the previously announced
targetdate.
The Company revised the construction
schedule for Amursk POX-2 by six months:
full commissioning is expected in Q2 2024.
The Company is confident in the feasibility
of the current plan and continues to
implement a range of risk mitigation
measures, which mainly relate to logistical
challenges.
Early-stage projects (including Veduga and
Maminskoye) have been delayed by one
year. This will reduce short-term capital
commitments and allow for a thorough
selection of processing equipment to ensure
full compliance with all applicable sanctions
and flexible construction planning. The
POX-3 project has been suspended
indefinitely with studies under way to
potentially re-site the facility in Kazakhstan.
3. Supply chain risk Risk level: Risk exposure trend:
Link to strategy:
Risk description and potential effect
Supply change failure could adversely
affect the Company’s business processes.
In view of the macroeconomic context and
industry-wide uncertainty, maintaining
resilient supply chains is a vital component
in ensuring the Company’s sustainable
performance. Supply chain risk also
correlates with principal risks such as
market, construction and development,
production, political and with emerging
climate change risk. Disruption or
restrictions to supply chain operations
could negatively impact operational
procurement, concentrate transportation
and planned delivery of construction and
development projects.
Preventive and mitigation measures
In order to maintain the operation of a
resilient supply chain, the Company has
implemented a range of preventive
controls and mitigation measures to
address the volatile environment,
including:
• Advanced planning and ongoing
reviewing (e.g. tracking all shipments,
infrastructure outages and inclement
weather, monitoring possible sanction-
related restrictions)
• Agile stock allocations and creating
safety stocks for key inventory groups
• Reservation of production capacities
on the n-Tier suppliers level and shift to
substitute items where the risk of
supply chain interruption is high
• Calculating multiple shipment scenarios
for critical items along with a focus on
local contractors and using our own
containers in the shipment turnover
• Proactive order placing for consumed
materials
• Implementation of immediate reporting
mechanisms, including inventory and
suppliers risk assessment on an
ongoing basis
• Monitoring all sanctions and
restrictions, and maintaining the
sanctions register
• Development of a strategy and plan for
alternative substitution of inventory and
equipment.
Principal areas of focus in 2022
During the reporting year, we focused on
adapting our supply chains to sanctions
restrictions and implementing measures to
replace sanctioned equipment and
consumables with comparable products,
mainly from Asia and Russia. We proactively
managed production demand and stocks of
critical consumables and spares to optimise
the number of order placements and ensure
on-time inventory and equipment delivery to
operations.
Polymetal responded by both increasing the
procurement of equipment and spares, and
reinforcing its relationships with critically
important contractors and suppliers through
advance payments. This allowed us to
significantly reduce the risk of supply
disruption caused by the impact of
international sanctions and counter-sanctions
on procurement and logistics.
There were no interruptions in the production
and delivery of development projects caused
by sanctions restrictions to the supply chain.
Despite the logistical challenges triggered by
the geopolitical and macroeconomic
situation, we managed to respond promptly
and effectively to any emerging issues.
Contingency planning has been in place to
ensure supply chain resilience, including the
selection of key equipment suppliers. In
addition, re-engineering practice for critical
inventories of existing production processes
was introduced.
Risk key
Risk level Risk exposure trend Link to strategy
Low
Medium
High
Extreme
2022 – No change
New principal risk
2022 – Increased
2022 – Decreased
Meaningful organic
growth
Maintaining robust liquidity
and balance sheet
Global leadership in refractory
ore processing
High standards of ESG
through impact assessment
The order in which the risks are presented is not relevant to their significance.
Strategic report Governance Financial statements Appendices
Polymetal International plc Integrated Annual Report & Accounts 2022
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Polymetal International plc Integrated Annual Report & Accounts 2022