sustainability report 2006 - petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and...

12
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 PETER HAMBRO MINING PLC

Upload: others

Post on 30-Apr-2020

3 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 - Petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and experience to manage environmental, social and health and safety issues effectively

SUSTAINABILITYREPORT 2006

PETER HAMBRO MINING PLC

Page 2: SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 - Petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and experience to manage environmental, social and health and safety issues effectively

Contents

1 Message from the Chairman

2 Objectives and Strategies

3 Sustainability Reporting and Timeline

4 Sustainability Management Structure

5 An Overview of Sustainability Performance at the Pokrovskiy Mine

6 Reporting and Management Structure at the Mine

7 Our Performance

8 Our Contribution to Our Host Communities

9 Environmental and Social Review of Pokrovskiy Rudnik

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

• Sustainability Committee established at Board level

• Commitment to continue implementationof International Finance Corporation (IFC)Performance Standards on social and environmental sustainability and the World BankGroup/IFC guidelines

• Commitment to continue implementation ofsustainability reporting, moving towards fulfilmentof the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines of theGlobal Reporting Initiative

• Commitment to bring operations into compliancewith the Sustainable Development Principles of theInternational Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM)

• No emissions in excess of regulatory limits reportedat the Pokrovskiy Mine

• No instances of non-compliances identified by theRussian regulatory authorities

• The Group’s environmental and social managementplan and team will be augmented to assist in theimplementation of international good practice

• Ongoing IFC equity investment provides technicalsupport and regular independent reviews of theCompany’s environmental and social performance

• Significant community investment and support undertaken

Page 3: SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 - Petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and experience to manage environmental, social and health and safety issues effectively

PETER HAMBRO MINING PLC SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 1

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

I am pleased to present to you our first Sustainability Report, which aimsto increase awareness of Peter Hambro Mining Plc’s (referred to belowas the “Company”) environmental and social programme. Our values andbusiness principles that are stated in this report have been developed inconsultation with our employees and other stakeholders and are reviewedon an ongoing basis to ensure long-term adherence to the principlesof sustainability. Peter Hambro Mining Plc and its group of companies(the “Group”) understands the importance of integrating our social,environmental and economic performance into our overall businessapproach. This Sustainability Report will give you an insight into someof our economic, social and environmental programmes undertaken overthe past year and sets out a programme for continued improvementin environmental and social performance going forward.

The Company’s environmental and social policies are designed to complywith both Russian regulatory requirements and with international goodpractice. For example, we have always maintained a policy of adherence tothe World Bank Group/International Finance Corporation (IFC) performancestandards on social and environmental sustainability as well as theenvironmental, health and safety guidelines. The IFC, which invested in theCompany in 2005, undertakes a full environmental and social audit of ouroperations on a regular basis, and has reported good progress in theimplementation of IFC standards and guidelines.

The development and maintenance of good relations with our local “host”communities is another area of great importance for the Group. We workclosely with regional authorities and community organisations to establishand support a wide range of community investment and developmentprogrammes. We are also committed to continued investment in ouremployees, by providing opportunities to develop their skills, promoteinnovation at work, and to maintain health and well-being. We believe ourcommitment to our people enhances morale and contributes to reductionof absences through illness and an increase in staff retention.

The Board of Directors fully supports the Group’s sustainability strategyand this year we are pleased to announce the creation of a SustainabilityCommittee specially designed to monitor, review and make appropriaterecommendations to the Board on the best industry practices, the mostrecent requirements of the London market and the state of health, safety,environment, social and community relations issues in the Company,making use of an independent consultancy and management reports whereappropriate. To assure its effectiveness and independence from the Board,the Committee consists of three Non Executive Directors, Philip Leatham,Sir Rudolph Agnew and Peter Hill-Wood, and one Executive Director,Alfiya Samokhvalova. The Committee was established in early 2007 and ischaired by Philip Leatham. The role of the Committee is to oversee thecontinued implementation of our environmental and social programmeincluding implementation of reporting in accordance with the GlobalReporting Initiative, and the compliance with IFC’s environmental andsocial requirements. The Group also hired an independent consultancy,Citrus Partners LLP, who have recently undertaken an audit of thePokrovskiy operations, to assist us in the ongoing implementation of ourenvironmental and social programme. A summary of the conclusions fromtheir audit is included in this Report, and further detail will soon be availableon our website at www.peterhambro.com.

We believe in investing in a better future for all of our employees. This yearwe achieved outstanding production and financial results in part through theskills, experience and commitment to excellence of our management andproduction teams. While we are on track to hit our targets, there is still muchwe can do to improve and we rely on the continued efforts of our employeesfor future successes.

We are convinced thatmaintaining high levels ofeconomic, environmental andsocial performance contributesto increased shareholder valueand maintains and enhances our“social licence to operate”within our host communities.

Peter HambroExecutive Chairman

Page 4: SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 - Petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and experience to manage environmental, social and health and safety issues effectively

2 PETER HAMBRO MINING PLC SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006

ObjectivesOur objectives in publishing this SustainabilityReport are to demonstrate to shareholders andstakeholders alike how the Company operates,and how we aspire to improve our environmentaland social performance on an ongoing basis.

• We are committed to managing our operationsto ensure the safety and security of ouremployees, contractors, neighbours, and ourhost environment. In planning our approachto business we recognise our duties toshareholders and responsibilities to widerstakeholders.

• We will continue to implement the IFCperformance standards and guidelines andinternational good practice, throughout ouroperations.

• We will develop and implement reportingsystems to meet the requirements of the GlobalReporting Initiative (GRI) and ICMMSustainable Development Principles.

Sustainability StrategyOur Sustainability Strategy is designed toimprove our environmental, health and safetyand social performance through the ongoingimplementation of international good practice,and to build on our existing compliance with theRussian regulatory requirements.

We see that this approach underpins our abilityto continue to increase shareholder value.

Key elements of our Sustainability Strategy are:

• Full compliance with the Russian regulatoryrequirements in parallel with implementationof international good practice;

• Continued implementation of the IFCguidelines and performance standards;

• Continued implementation of sustainabilityreporting, moving towards fulfilment of theSustainability Reporting Guidelines of theGlobal Reporting Initiative

• Bringing operations into compliance with theICMM Sustainable Development Principles.

The ICMM Sustainable Development PrinciplesThe ICMM Sustainable Development Principles provide a broad framework for the managementof our business. Our current status against these principles is outlined below:

OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES

Primary School, Magdagachi

Flowers in the Amur Region

ICMM Sustainable DevelopmentPrinciple

Implement and maintain ethical business practices and sound systems of corporate governance

Integrate sustainable development considerations within the corporate decision-making process

Uphold fundamental human rights and respect cultures, customs and values in dealings with employees and others who are affected by the company’s activities

Implement risk management strategies based on valid data and sound science

Seek continual improvement of health and safety performance

Seek continual improvement of environmental performance

Contribute to conservation of biodiversity and integrated approaches to land use planning

Facilitate and encourage responsible product design, use, re-use, recycling and disposal of products

Contribute to the social, economic and institutional development of the communities in which the companyoperates

Implement effective and transparentengagement, communication andindependently verified reportingarrangements with the stakeholders

Status of the Group

• The Group seeks to operate withintegrity and transparency, and hasimplemented a range of corporategovernance initiatives

• We will continue to develop ourpolicies and practices with regardto corporate governance

• A sustainability strategy is currently being implemented

• We seek to operate in a manner thatrespects our workers and localcommunities

• Extensive risk monitoring and riskmanagement is undertaken by internaland external experts under thesupervision of the Russian regulatoryauthorities

• We have an existing health and safetymanagement system which is beingrevised to reflect international good practice

• We have an existing environmentalmanagement system which is beingrevised to reflect international goodpractice

• We work closely with local authoritiesto ensure that our activities do notconflict with the existing land useor adversely impact on biodiversity

• We have existing waste managementsystems and are continually seekingmeans to reduce product consumptionand waste disposal

• We make a significant contributionto our host communities by supportinga wide range of educational, healthand social initiatives

• We are in the process of enhancingour reporting to stakeholders, andthis report represents the first stepin that process

Page 5: SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 - Petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and experience to manage environmental, social and health and safety issues effectively

PETER HAMBRO MINING PLC SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 3

Our Approach to Sustainability ReportingWe are committed to increase the transparencyof our non-financial performance and to provideclear information accessible to all stakeholders.This is the first dedicated Sustainability Report,and further such reports will be produced on anannual basis going forward. We are committedto introduce reporting in accordance with theGlobal Reporting Initiative (GRI).

This Report provides an overview of how wemanage environmental and social issues, andfocuses this year on the Pokrovskiy Mine, which currently accounts for the majority of our production. Environmental, health, safetyand social performance information on ourexploration and development activities and ourjoint ventures, is not included in this Report. We will seek to expand our environmentaland social reporting over time to cover theseactivities in an appropriate manner.

In support of this Report, we will also continueto develop the information provided on theCompany’s website. Further details of overallcorporate governance, principal risks corporateand management structures of the Group areprovided in the Peter Hambro Mining Plc’sAnnual Report and Accounts 2006.

Our Two-Year Plan for SustainabilityManagement and Performance We have developed a two-year programme forthe ongoing implementation of our SustainabilityStrategy, as outlined below.

During 2007 and 2008 we will focus onconsolidating what we have achieved to datein a systematic structure and managementsystem that can be rolled-out across our otheractivities and new projects. We will continueto monitor and improve the effectiveness ofour environmental and social management andto extend its scope as appropriate to adoptinternational good practice.

SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING AND TIMELINE

Health and Safety briefing at Pokrovskiy Rudnik

Hard hat at Pokrovskiy Rudnik

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q2Q1 Q1Q3 Q4

2006 2007 2008

Annual Sustainability Report

Two-Year Plan

Develop Policies & Procedures

Implement Policies & Procedures

Develop & implementreporting system

Continue implementationof IFC Requirements

Annual IndependentAudits

Page 6: SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 - Petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and experience to manage environmental, social and health and safety issues effectively

4 PETER HAMBRO MINING PLC SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006

SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

A Board-level Sustainability Committee wasestablished this year to evaluate the effectivenessof the Group’s programmes and its controlsystems for identifying and managing health,safety and environmental risks within theGroup’s operations. The Committee isindependent from the executive management,and consists of three Non Executive Directorsand one Executive Director.

The current size and scale of the Group providesus with significant resources, capabilities andexperience to manage environmental, social andhealth and safety issues effectively.

The Natural Resources Management andEcological Department, which is based inMoscow, supports the Peter Hambro MiningBoard, provides guidance and support to OAOPokrovskiy Rudnik, the operating Company atthe Pokrovskiy Mine, carries out internalenvironmental audits, oversees all environmentalactivities of the operating companies in theGroup throughout Russia and liaises with theregulatory agencies based in Moscow.

The Sustainability Committee oversees allaspects of environmental and socialmanagement, setting priorities for the Group and reviewing progress in implementation.

Over the coming year, we will seek to build on our significant strengths in operationalmonitoring by developing further our ownenvironmental social resources and capabilitiesrelated to project design, development andproviding support to construction andoperational activities. We are identifyingappropriate experts to work with us at acorporate and operational level to implementgood practice in mining environmental andsocial management throughout the Group.

Our current sustainability management structureis presented below. This structure will changeover the coming year to reflect the newmanagement systems being implemented and toreflect the introduction of additional expertiseand resources into the Group.

Vladimir Riabikin, Deputy General Director of MC PHM for natural resources management

General Director

Irgiredmet

Vladimir Dementeev

Director of Ecological Department

MC PHM

Vera Usova

Environmental Structure Social Structure Health & Safety Structure

Chairman and Deputy ChairmanPeter Hambro & Pavel Maslovskiy

General Director

MC PHM

Sergei Ermolenko

Deputy General

Director

IrgiredmetDirector of Ecological

Laboratory

Vladimir Petrov

External independent ecological control and

audit

ChiefEngineer

MC PHM

Alexander

Mutiev

Ecologicaloperational

managementand

methodology

Deputy General

DirectorMC PHM

Natural Resources

Management

Vladimir Riabikin

Internal ecological control and audit

Director of External

CommunicationsPHM Plc

Alya Samokhvalova

Investor Relations & communications with

media

General Director

MC PHM

Sergei Ermolenko

Coordination of communications with Federal bodies and

responsibility for all social issues within the Group

Director of Corporate

Communications Dept

& Welfare OfficerMC PHM

Uliana Levanova

Communications with Amur region media ,

NGOs , coordination of sponsorship and

charitable donations and internal communications

with all employees

Deputy General DirectorMC PHM

Andrei Lushei

Coordination of communications with State

bodies in Amur Region and management of Human Resources

General Directors of Companies within the Group Structure

Welfare Officer(Blagoveschensk )

Uliana Levanova

PHM Sustainability Committee

(London)

Philip Leatham (Chairman ),

Sir Rudolph Agnew

Peter Hill -WoodAlya Samokhvalova

Ecological & Environmental

Department(Moscow )

Vladimir Riabikin

IrgiredmetEnvironmental

Laboratory

(Irkutsk)

Director of Ecological

LaboratoryVladimir Petrov

Environmental Department

(Blagoveschensk )

Director of Ecological

Department

Vera Usova

Page 7: SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 - Petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and experience to manage environmental, social and health and safety issues effectively

AN OVERVIEW OF SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE AT THE POKROVSKIY MINE

IntroductionIn this, our first Sustainability Report, we havefocused on the Pokrovskiy Mine, our keyproducing asset in the Amur Region.

Mine DescriptionThe Pokrovskiy Mine (operated by OAOPokrovskiy Rudnik (“Pokrovskiy Rudnik”))has been in operation since 1999, and to date825,000 ounces of gold has been produced at themine, making Pokrovskiy Rudnik one of thelargest gold producers in the Amur Region.

Ore is mined from two open pits usingconventional blasting techniques and truck and shovel operations to take ore from the pit to the primary crusher. Overburden is stored instockpiles adjacent to the open pits. High gradeore (>1g/t) is then transported to the mainprocessing facility where it is fed into theprocessing mill, using conventional SAG andball mills.

Conventional cyanide leaching is used todissolve gold from ore in processing tanks,with the gold then being absorbed onto resingranules (“resin in pulp” or “RIP”). Gold andsilver are recovered from the resin by electrolysisand the resulting metal sludge is then smeltedinto dore bars.

Low grade ore is placed onto a series of heapleach pads and conventional cyanidation processis used to leach gold from the ore. Gold-bearingleachate is collected and pumped into columnsfilled with resin which absorb the gold readyfor introduction of the resin into the mainelectrolytic gold recovery process prior tosmelting into dore bars.

Tailings are treated through a cyanide destructionprocess before being piped 4kms to a tailingsmanagement facility for final disposal.

Pokrovskiy Rudnik employs 1,680 staff,including 286 specialist technical andengineering staff. The mine is supported byexcellent infrastructure including a fullyequipped analytical laboratory, medical facilities,staff accommodation, canteen facilities andoffices. The mine is equipped with a full miningfleet, which is currently being re-equippedwith new Volvo trucks. All truck movementson site are computer-controlled to optimisevehicle movements.

Operating EnvironmentThe Amur Region, located in the South-Easternpart of the Russian Federation, is hometo the Group’s primary operations (includingPokrovskiy) and a large proportion of itsdevelopment assets; it has a vast resourcepotential and gold mining and is one of theregion’s leading industries. The region hasa total area of almost 364,000km2 anda population of over one million people, withavailable workforce of just over 500,000.

The Amur Region is characterised by a “Taiga”style environment with gently undulatingland covered in waterlogged peat bogs andinterspersed with Silver Birch woodland. Thearea is underlain by poorly draining sandy-clayalluvial deposits and is accompanied byintermittent permafrost. Despite the extensivepresence of wetland and bog areas, evaporationexceeds rainfall in the area and the dryenvironment leads to frequent grass fires acrossthe region. The area is characterised by long,cold, winters and short, warm summers, witha three month frost-free “summer” season.

While the local environment is relativelypristine, the harsh climate means that flora andfauna biodiversity and productivity is limited,and there are no areas of special interest orprotected areas in the vicinity of the mine.

The mine is located in a remote area. The nearestsettlement to the mine is the town of Tygda,14kms from the site. Tygda has a population ofapproximately 3,500 people with reportedly highlevels of unemployment. Pokrovskiy Rudnikemploys over 240 local workers, thereby makinga significant contribution to the local economy.The shift system employed by the PokrovskiyRudnik (15 days on/15 days off) enablesemployees to maintain their agricultural smallholdings so that local agricultural andemployment patterns are not adversely affected.

PETER HAMBRO MINING PLC SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 5

POKROVSKIY MINE – FACTS & FIGURES

Performance Metrics 2006 2005Total Material Moved ’000m3 6,297 6,084 Total processed at RIP ’000t 1,698 1,397 Recovery % 90.8% 91.5%Gold recovered through RIP ’000oz 190 169Ore stacked at Heap Leach ’000t 750 714Recovery % 73.1% 48.9%Gold recovered through Heap Leach ’000oz 16.8 16.5

Total Gold Production ’000oz 206.8 185.7

Accommodation camp at Pokrovskiy Rudnik

Canteen at Pokrovskiy Rudnik

Worker at Pokrovskiy Rudnik

Page 8: SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 - Petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and experience to manage environmental, social and health and safety issues effectively

6 PETER HAMBRO MINING PLC SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006

REPORTING AND MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE AT THE MINE

Monitoring and Reporting PrioritiesIn our view it is imperative that miningcompanies operate in a responsible manner –without the support of local communities andpublic authorities, mining companies can rapidlylose their “social licence to operate”. Thisrequires effective environmental and socialgovernance to minimise the impact of miningoperations and to maximise the benefits –be they environmental or social.

The sustainability and viability of the Groupis reliant on its capability to retain, train andprotect its employees; to make all possibleefforts to preserve the surrounding environmentand rehabilitate sites after mine closure; andto improve local infrastructure and add valueto local communities. It is therefore paramountthat the Company monitors and reports on itsperformance in these areas.

Management Structure and Controls atthe MineThe Team at Pokrovskiy Rudnik and How we OperateWe understand the need to implement ourenvironmental and social governance policiesthroughout all of the Group’s operationsto ensure that effective and robust systems andcontrols are in place at an operational level. As aresult, we have staff at all levels within the Groupwho are responsible for environment, health andsafety and social and community issues.

Key staff within Pokrovskiy Rudnik responsiblefor the management of environmental and socialissues include:

Uliana LevanovaDirector of Management CompanyPeter Hambro Mining (MC PHM) CorporateCommunications (Blagoveschensk)

Uliana was appointed in 2005 to facilitate andencourage communication between managementand mine workers, and between PokrovskiyRudnik and the local communities and regionaladministrations. She undertakes ongoingdialogue with employees to maintain effectiveinternal communication and she also managesthe ongoing dialogue with local authorities,communities, media, non-governmentorganisations and charitable organisations.

Vera UsovaDirector of MC PHM Ecological Department(Blagoveschensk)

Vera was appointed in 2001 and is responsiblefor environmental monitoring and control atPokrovskiy Rudnik. Internal and externalenvironmental monitoring is regularly carriedout at the mine under the supervision of Vera,who is also responsible for reporting onperformance and compliance matters bothinternally and to Russian regulatory authorities.

Boris Prokopenko – Deputy Chief Engineerof MC PHM for Industrial Safety

Boris is responsible for the implementation andmonitoring of health and safety managementsystems, as well as for reporting on performanceand compliance to Russian regulatory authorities.Boris is also responsible for all staff health andsafety training.

Environmental Monitoring and Reportingat Pokrovskiy RudnikThe Group laboratories are state certified and areauthorised to monitor air, water and soil quality,tailings and waste management and rehabilitationand restoration programmes at the mine and inthe surrounding area.

Monitoring is undertaken both by the Companyand by a number of accredited State institutionsand accredited privately-owned organisations.Irgiredmet, a well-respected scientific institutewhich is 98% owned by the Group, alsoperforms extensive sampling and analysis ofenvironmental samples from the mine.

On a six-monthly basis, complete records of allmonitoring activities are submitted for inspectionto the Amur Oblast branch of Rosprirodnadzor(environmental protection agency) for inspection.On a bi-annual basis, records are submitted tothe Moscow headquarters of Rosprirodnadzorfor supervisory review.

Tailings Dam at Pokrovskiy Rudnik

Carpentry workshop at Pokrovskiy Rudnik

Near Pokrovskiy Mine

Medical supplies at Pokrovskiy Medical Centre

Page 9: SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 - Petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and experience to manage environmental, social and health and safety issues effectively

PETER HAMBRO MINING PLC SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 7

Extensive reviews of our environmentalmonitoring and performance records by theRussian authorities in December 2006 confirmedthat the mine is operating in full compliancewith the Russian regulatory requirements.

As part of the ongoing process of implementinginternational good practice, we will developa robust and systematic set of environmental,health and safety and social key performanceindicators (KPIs) for use going forward.

Environmental PerformanceCurrent key environmental performanceindicators include:

• Maximum permissible concentrations were notexceeded for any pollutants (in air or water)on the border of the sanitary-protection zoneat Pokrovskiy Rudnik in 2006;

• The mine is designed as a “zero discharge”facility with water recycled from the tailing’spond back through the processing plant – waterdischarges from the mine are negligible;

• Cyanide levels within the tailing’s pond arewithin the Russian regulatory levels and arewithin IFC guideline levels;

• Ore geochemistry means that acid drainageis not an issue at the mine;

• Waste is disposed of according to the Russianregulatory requirements and waste disposedoff-site is handled and disposed by authorisedcontractors;

• The Company is seeking to implement the ISO14001 environmental management system andwill continue the process of implementing IFCguidelines and performance standards, as wellas broader international good practice.

Land ReclamationIn 2006 1,775,000m3 of waste rock was usedto fill open pits, however, land reclamation isnot due to commence until the operations cease.In 2008, termination of operations is plannedat the Pokrovka-3 pit and land reclamation and re-vegetation will be addressed at that stage.All land reclamation is undertaken underregulatory supervision and approval by theRussian regulatory authorities.

Health and Safety PerformanceHealth and safety monitoring is carried outin accordance with our health and safetymanagement system and with the Russianregulatory requirements. On a monthly basis,the General Director undertakes a formal reviewof the results of ongoing health and safetyinspections carried out at the mine to identifynon-compliances and to agree corrective actions.

All workers and visitors to the mine undertakea health and safety induction programme.

Workers are tested on an annual basis on healthand safety issues, including tests specific to theirparticular area of work. A safety managementsystem, approved by the Russian regulatoryauthorities, has been implemented at the mine.

Current key health and safety performanceindicators include:

• Health and safety management system hasbeen implemented at the mine;

• All workers undergo health and safety training;

• All workers are provided with personalprotective equipment (PPE);

• All workers undergo annual health checks andare supported by a fully-staffed on-site medicalcentre with one fully-trained medical staffmember for each 191 workers;

• No fatalities occurred at the mine during 2006.

Ecological monitoring laboratory

Near Pokrovskiy Mine

OUR PERFORMANCE

Near Pokrovskiy Mine

Page 10: SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 - Petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and experience to manage environmental, social and health and safety issues effectively

8 PETER HAMBRO MINING PLC SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006

The Group is committed to operating in amanner that provides tangible and sustainablebenefits to our host communities. This includessupporting educational programmes, financialinvestment and contributions, awareness raisingand maintaining an ongoing dialogue with hostcommunities and the local authorities.

Education ProgrammesPokrovskiy Rudnik has a well-establishededucation programme designed to train existingand future employees with skills that will be ofvalue throughout their careers. We currentlyhave 107 employees enrolled on educationcourses (55 in higher education, 52 in secondarytechnical education). The Group also operatesa scholarship programme for students.

In order to train future workers and to maintaina pool of skilled workers, the Group worksclosely with local universities. To that end theBlagoveschensck Pedagogical University hasestablished a new Chemistry Department to meetdemand from the Group for scientifically-trainedgraduates. Lecturers for the new department areprovided from the Group’s staff. The Groupis also planning to establish a local miningengineering college to produce trained miningengineers for the Group.

The Group also works with local schools,organising field trips, supporting research anddevelopment projects and providing careerdevelopment sessions to promote awareness ofthe mining industry within the host community.

Local Community Investment The Group plays a major role in the economyof the Amur Region, and is the third largest tax-payer, having contributed a total ofUS$13.8m in 2006. We endeavour to employlocal people where possible, and the averagesalary at Pokrovskiy Rudnik, of US$580 fora 15-day shift, is considerably higher than theaverage for the industrial sector within theAmur Region, being US$425.

The Group maintains an extensive charitablefunding and sponsorship programme in theAmur Region that supports communities andinfrastructure in several local districts. TheGroup makes contributions to public healthservices, educational institutions and day centresand sponsors a variety of sporting, cultural,and charitable events.

In Tygda for example, the Group has contributedto the construction and running of local schoolsas well as the town’s fire station, and inMagdagachi, the Group contributes to a numberof schools and has recently funded constructionof a church (see photograph, left). The Groupsenior management maintains an active dialoguewith local authorities and trade unions, and thePokrovskiy Rudnik has signed agreements withall local communities for mutual cooperationand support.

Investment in community projects for 2006is summarised in the table below.

Employee SupportEmployment within the Group in Russia fallsunder the Labour Code of the RussianFederation.

The Group believes in providing its staff with first-rate domestic arrangements while they are on duty; including high qualityaccommodation and canteen facilities, andrecreational and sporting facilities. Employeesare eligible for vacation breaks at health resorts,and in 2006 there were 65 such trips subsidisedby the Company.

Health and safety and the appropriate medicalback-up are of a vital consideration for theGroup. There is a fully equipped medical facilityon site together with fully trained medical staff. The Group provides considerable assistanceto medical institutions in the Amur Regionand has bought special medical and computerequipment for local hospitals and clinicsand sponsored medical students throughtheir training.

We encourage workers to join the local TradeUnion for the mine so that the Group and its workers can undertake a mutually-beneficialdialogue on a wide range of issues. PokrovskiyRudnik publishes a free monthly internalnewspaper to keep employees up to dateon its developments. In addition, the Group’smanagement undertakes regular consultationsessions with the employees to ensure that thereis clear communication within the Group.

OUR CONTRIBUTION TO OUR HOST COMMUNITIES

Magdagachi Church

Primary school children, Magdagachi

Lesson at Magdagachi school

INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY

Sector Total Company ContributionsRussian Roubles US Dollars

Public health services 686,407 25,422Education, day-centres 979,778 36,288Culture 1,055,957 39,110Sport 1,170,178 43,340Charity 3,800,550 140,761Others 1,363,796 50,511

Total 9,056,667 335,432

Page 11: SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 - Petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and experience to manage environmental, social and health and safety issues effectively

PETER HAMBRO MINING PLC SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006

Citrus Partners

J154: Peter Hambro Mining plc

Peter Hambro Mining plc 11 Grosvenor Place London SW1X 7HH United Kingdom

9th May 2007

Our ref: J154

ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL REVIEW OF PROKROVSKIY MINE

Citrus Partners LLP (Citrus) was asked by Peter Hambro Mining plc (PHM), at the recommendation of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), to undertake an independent review of environmental and social management at the Prokrovskiy mine in the Amur Oblast of the Russian Federation, both owned and operated by PHM.

Scope of Review

The scope of the review was to assess PHM operations against the new IFC Environment, Health and sSafety guidelines for Mining, against the IFC Performance Standards on Social & Environmental Sustainability, and against generally accepted good international practice. In addition, we were asked to report on the status of concerns raised in December 2006 by Rosprirodnadzor (the Russian Federation Environmental Protection Agency) with regard to environmental issues at PHM operations in Amur Oblast.

Conclusions

Site visits and management interviews were undertaken during April and May 2007. The conclusions of the review process were as follows:

Peter Hambro Mining operations in Amur Oblast are well-run. Operations appear to be in full compliance with Russian regulatory requirements and PHM adopts a pro-active approach to ensuring compliance within a complex and changing regulatory framework;

Potential concerns raised by Rosprirodnadzor with regard to environmental compliance of PHM operations in Amur Oblast were demonstrated by PHM to be without foundation. After extensive checks of all licences and monitoring data, both Rosprirodnadzor and Gosgortechnadzor confirmed in writing to PHM that no regulatory non-compliances were identified;

PHM has committed to continue to implement IFC environment, health and safety guidelines and performance standards on social and environmental sustainability at its operations in Amur Oblast.

There are a number of operational issues that will need to be addressed in order for operations to meet IFC requirements. These include the development of a Social and Environment Management System, the implementation of the International Cyanide Management Code, and the development of enhanced stakeholder engagement systems. A detailed Action Plan has been prepared and will be implemented by PHM to meet IFC requirements and international good practice.

Opinion

In our opinion, the information presented by PHM in the Sustainability Report 2006 provides a balanced and fair representation of PHM’s environmental and social performance. We are not aware of any material issues excluded or misstatements made in relation to this information.

Citrus Partners LLP

Registered Office:Lime House 29 Haggard Road

Twickenham TW1 3AL

Company Registration: OC312372

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL REVIEW OF POKROVSKIY MINE

IFC InvestmentThe International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an equity investor in the Group, which provides us with extensive support andguidance with regard to environmental and social matters. IFC have recently stated the following with regard to our operations:“Peter Hambro Mining gold operations in the Amur Region are visited annually by IFC environmental and social developmentspecialists. During these monitoring visits recommendations are made on key issues related to environmental management includingmonitoring, occupational health and safety, community engagement and local employment. Good progress in implementing various plans and activities has been assessed each year that IFC have undertaken monitoring visits. With the Pioneer Mine now under construction, IFC is looking at opportunities to support the Group to develop further itsenvironmental, health and safety function as well as linkages for small and medium-sized enterprise development in mining services. An independent environmental and social audit of the Pokrovskiy Mine was undertaken recently by Citrus Partners to thesatisfaction of IFC.” The presence of the IFC, who closely monitors and guides our environmental and social performance, is adding value to the Groupby bringing in international good practice standards and worldwide experience. An IFC representative attends the Board levelSustainability Committee, as required, to assist the Group to move forward this important agenda.

9

Page 12: SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2006 - Petropavlovsk plc · us with significant resources, capabilities and experience to manage environmental, social and health and safety issues effectively

Office

11 Grosvenor PlaceBelgraviaLondonSW1X 7HH

Tel. +44 20 7201 8900Fax. +44 20 7201 8901Email. [email protected]

www.peterhambro.com

PETER HAMBRO MINING PLC