RA Environment Ministry has issued a positive conclusion to the Environmental Impact Assessment for the increase of the productivity in Ararat Gold Extraction Plant․
Sotq gold mine ore is processed at Ararat Gold Extraction Plant. Russian "GeoProMining Gold" LLC, the operating company, will increase the plant productivity from the current 1.0 million tons to 1.75 million tons per year. Gold mining will be carried out by flotation. The gold content in the concentrate is 40.5 g/t, the gold recovery from the concentrate is 81.0%.
With a capacity of 1.75 million tons, the tailings dump at Ararat plant will last 5.8 years. It is unknown at this time what solution will be given afterwards.
The design mark of the tailings dam is 821.00 m. Currently, the tailings dam is filled to the mark of 814.50 m, with a volume of 3.82 million cubic meters. The residual volume of the tailings from 814.50 m to 821.00 m is 7.63 million cubic meters or 10.22 million tons.
The capacity of Ararat Gold Extraction Plant is currently 1.0 million tons per year. The company intends to increase it to 1.75 million tons per year. Gold mining will be carried out by flotation. The gold content in the concentrate is 40.5 g/t, the gold recovery from the concentrate is 81.0%.
Under the project, in case of operating at a capacity of 1.75 million tons, the tailing dump of Ararat factory will serve for 5.8 years. It is still unclear what solution will be found later.
The maximum design point of the tailings dam is 821.00 m. The tailing dump is filled to the mark of 814.50 m, the volume of which is 3.82 million m3. The residual volume of the tailing dump is 7.63 million m3 or 10.22 million tons from 814.50 m to 821.00 m. If the gold mining plant with a processing capacity of 1.75 million tons/year operates, the tailing dump will serve for 5.8 years.
The expert requirements of the conclusion say that before the exhaustion of the tailing dump volume and the increase of the dam to 821.00 m, it is necessary to calculate the stability of the existing tailing dump, which will allow making a final decision on raising the existing tailing dump or building a new tailing dump. The costs of tailing dump reclamation were estimated at 861,120,469 AMD.
It should be noted that GeoProMining Gold also intends to operate Sotq gold mine underground after 2025. The company submitted the relevant application to RA Environment Ministry in October last year, but there is no conclusion on this yet.
Reminder: In Armenia, in addition to Sotq gold mine, Russian “GeoProMining Gold’ operates Agarak copper-molybdenum mine in Syunik Region, as well as the Ararat gold extraction plant. A few months ago, the company also acquired a 60 percent stake in Armenia's largest Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine, 25 percent of which it donated to the Armenian government for trust management.
February 08, 2022 at 14:36