OREANDA-NEWS  ALROSA is considering the possibility of extracting associated gold during diamond mining at the Mirninsko-Nyurbinsky GOK placer deposits, the company said.

The Vilyuisk geological exploration expedition of ALROSA has received a positive conclusion from Rosgeoexpertiza for geological exploration in Mirny. Experts intend to evaluate the efficiency of gold extraction from diamond-bearing sands processing products at processing plant No. 3.

Earlier, gold reserves of 433 kg were approved at the Gornoye and Irely placer deposits belonging to the Mirninsko-Nyurbinsky GOK. Currently, associated gold mining is used simultaneously with the washing of diamond-bearing sands at sorting plants in the Mirninsky district.

The joint work of geologists and GOK specialists will help determine how economically justified the additional extraction of gold from the enrichment products supplied to the factory for diamond mining is.

"After we confirm the effectiveness, associated gold mining will be able to be integrated into the production process of the processing plant," Roman Zhelonkin, chief geologist at ALROSA, said through a press service.

ALROSA's subsidiary Almazy Anabara received a license for associated mining of gold and other precious metals back in 2016. Almazy Anabara, a leading placer mining company in northern Yakutia, extracts approximately 180 kg of gold per year as an associated mineral. Last year, Anabara Diamonds acquired the Degdekan gold deposit in the Magadan region from Polyus with proven reserves of approximately 100 tons of gold, including balance reserves of C1+C2 - 38 tons.