May 15 (Bloomberg) -- OAO GMK Norilsk Nickel, the world’s biggest producer of the metal, said it will suspend operations at the port of Dudinka as early as May 22 in preparation for seasonal flooding.

Flooding of the port area is expected to start between May 22 and May 25, Norilsk spokesman Viktor Borodin said by telephone from Moscow today. The company expects to restart operations at the port in late June or early July, he said.

Norilsk halts shipments from Dudinka each year because of spring floods and ice floes.

To contact the reporters on this story: Maria Kolesnikova in Moscow at mkolesnikova@bloomberg.net, Claudia Carpenter in London at ccarpenter2@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: May 15, 2009 08:10 EDT