“Assat” LLC plans to extend the validity period of its soil management permit and contract for Qaraberd gold mine in Lori Region by nine years.
The subsoil use permit granted to “Assat” LLC has been valid from 2012 to 2024. The company has operated the central section of Qaraberd gold mine intermittently during this period.
The company has submitted to the Ministry of Environment an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the extension of the operating period of Qaraberd gold mine (central section) and for the underground extraction of mineral resources.
The fourth public hearing on the EIA report will take place on November 7, 2025, at 14:00, in the administrative office of Qaraberd settlement, Pambak community, Lori Region.
According to the report, “Assat” LLC intends to carry out operations in the central section of Qaraberd mine solely through underground mining, extracting 239,081.9 tons of balance reserves from ore bodies No. 1 and No. 3.
Under the current project and contract No. P-366 (signed June 6, 2013), the company was authorized to develop these ore bodies using both open-pit and underground methods.
“Assat” LLC had conducted extraction within the limits of extraction permit No. 29/366, which expired in June 2024.
Qaraberd mining field and mine are in Lori Region.
According to the technical assignment, the annual production capacity of the mine, in terms of commercial ore, is 30,000 tons.
The Cadastre Committee of Armenia reports that the mining area includes pastures, shrublands, and hayfields.
For the construction and operation of the mine, drilling and blasting works are planned. The ore is to be transported either to the gold recovery plant in Ararat or another operating facility.
The company also presented an analysis of air pollutant emissions, according to which the total annual emissions of harmful substances during operations will amount to approximately 14.317 tons, including 8.051 tons of dust and solid particles.
“Damage to land resources can be assessed based on the cost of measures required to restore their condition. In this case, such measures include land reclamation, covering an area of 2.6 hectares, estimated at 2,403,000 AMD,” the document states.
It should be recalled that in 2022, experts from Czech “Arnika” NGO, within the framework of “Public Participation in Chemical Safety in Armenia” project, collected soil, surface water, and mining waste samples in Qaraberd area.
As a result, high concentrations of heavy metals were found in the environment and in the bodies of local residents.
October 29, 2025 at 15:36