Page 17 - Журнал Sozvezdye Review - «СОЗВЕЗДИЕ» #40

The most precious of all Arkhangelsk Oblast’s western part has been
discovered to contain gold and platinum group
Geologically speaking, the Arkhangelsk metals. According to a number of individual gold
Oblast is marked by high degree of geophysical prospectors, the Nimenga prospect, located within
contrast: the elements of the Baltic Shield in its the territory of Onega District, holds 2.6 tons of gold
western part alternate with thick sedimentary and platinum group metals, its projected reserves
cover in the east and geological folds within the being 164 tons.
islands of the Novaya Zemlya. This diversity
had created the conditions favorable for the Novaya Zemlya
formation of various mineral deposits. As
of 2022, the area holds twenty-five different One of the key investment projects being pursued
subsurface resources. Its fields are being in the Arkhangelsk Oblast is the Pavlovsky lead and
gradually developed by the mining industry, zinc mining and processing plant on the Yuzhny
the latter accounting for 5% in the area’s GRP Island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, whose
and employing some four thousand people. proven resources include 2.500 tons of zinc, 549.000
Arkhangelsk Oblast is best known for its tons of lead and 1.200 tons of silver. Exploration
diamonds. Lying underneath the Pomoland’s surveys first covered the Pavlovsky mine in 2013. The
dense forests is one-fifth of Russia’s total expert review of its design documentation is due for
diamond reserves. In the European part completion in 2022, and the commissioning of its
of the country, Arkhangelsk is the only 3.5-million-ton-capacity mining
diamond-producing region. Currently under and processing plant is scheduled
development are two large diamond mines – for 2027. Operated by First Mining Один из ключевых
M. V. Lomonosov Diamond Mine and V. P. Company, this mine will receive инвестиционных проектов
Grib Diamond Mine. The former is operated more than RUB 78 billion in
by Severalmaz and was discovered to contain investment and is included in the Архангельской области –
six kimberlite pipes. Its development has list of the investment projects to be строительство горно-
received an investment of more than RUB implemented in the Arctic Zone.
73 billion, and the current capacity of its The mineral resource potential обогатительного комбината
mining and processing plant is four million of the Novaya Zemlya is not и разработка Павловского
tons of ore annually. The Grib Diamond limited to the Pavlovsky mine. месторождения свинцово-
Mine is being developed by AGD Diamonds. This archipelago’s probable
It entered the production phase in 2014, and resources include: цинковых руд
its current capacity has reached 4.5 million – manganese: 1.3 billion tons; One of the key investment projects
tons per year. – phosphorites: 7.1 million tons; being pursued in the Arkhangelsk
These may well not be the area’s only – lead: 4.9 million tons;
diamond fields. Forecast estimates suggest – copper: 3 million tons; Oblast is the Pavlovsky lead
that its unproved reserves may hold as many as – zinc: 2.3 million tons; and zinc mining and processing
750 million carats, which is three times more – fluorite: 1.6 million tons; plant on the Yuzhny Island of the
than proven reserves. Geological exploration – uranium: 15 thousand tons;
covers different parts of the province. – rock crystal: 2.4 thousand tons; Novaya Zemlya archipelago
Among particularly promising prospects are – gold: 6.6 tons
Ruchyevsky (Mezen District), Rochevsky
(Onega District and Plesetsk District), Plesetsky Black gold
(Plesetsk District), and Solzensky (Primorsky
District). These prospects are being explored Like many Arctic areas, Arkhangelsk Oblast
using the funding from the state-run program attracts attention also as an oil prospect. Its eastern
“Recovery and Management of Natural part is home to the Mezen syneclise – an extensive
Resources”. geological formation which is said to hold an oilfield

SOZVEZDYE #40

инвестиции
investment

15