Norilsky Nickel #1

Norilsky Nickel, the Russian metals giant, was the top domestic gold producer in 2003, with 36.29 tons of gold produced, up 42.3% on the year, the chairman of Russia's Gold Producers' Union Valery Braiko said at the Gold-2004 conference.

Russia's gold producer Polyus, fully owned by Norilsky Nickel, produced a total of 25.59 tons of gold in 2003, up 1.5% on the year.

The Artel Amur company, based in the Khabarovsk region, produced 6.05 tons of gold in 2003, up 50.8% on the year.

Russdragmet produced a total of 6 tons of gold in 2003, up 5.5% on the year. Russia's gold producers produced a total of 176.903 tons in 2003, up 3.5% on the year.

These companies made Russia the world's fifth gold producer following South Africa, the U.S., Australia, and China.