May 16. Norilsk Nickel has placed a bid to tap the Udokan deposit, the company said in a press release. This is the third largest copper deposit worldwide located in Zabaikaliye. "The project to develop the Udokan field matches the scale of Norilsk Nickel's business. If the company wins the tender, we could bring in co-investors and partners to jointly tap the field", the press release quoted Norilsk Nickel CEO Denis Morozov as saying. The spokesperson of the Mineral Resources Ministry declined to comment about any other contenders. On Tuesday, May 13 the ministry rolled back the deadline to accept bids for this deposit from May 14 to June 11 saying potential bidders need more time to prepare applications. The deadline for bidding is July 14 and results of the bidding are to be announced on August 14.