Norilsk Nickel deputy chairman, Leonid Rozhetskin, has insisted that the firm will soon publish details of its metal inventory and production.

Addressing delegates at a conference in Tampa, Florida, he confirmed that pgm production data would be released in the last quarter of this year, MineWeb reports.

The announcement follows suggestions last week that Russian presidential staff had blocked the disclosure bill allowing the release of previously secret information.

'Everything remains on track and we're very pleased that the government and president have moved ahead with the law that's now on the books about releasing our pgm data,' Mr Rozhetskin commented.

'There are no changes with respect to our plans and release of the data. The market is waiting for our data and we have lobbied strenuously for many years to obtain permission to release them and we will deliver on these promises.'

Mr Rozhetskin described the disclosure legislation as a 'small revolution in the platinum industry'.