Name of the Mine
Olimpiada mine.
Location
Krasnoyarsk Territory, in western Siberia, Russia.
Mine Owner/s
Polyus.
Brief Description
Olimpiada is Russia’s biggest operating gold mine. It comprises the Vostochny and Zapadny pits.
Brief History
The Olimpiada deposit was discovered in the 1970s, although alluvial gold mining in the region dates back much farther. Exploration is reported to have started at Olimpiada in the 1970s.
The mine was commissioned in 1996.
Primary Metals/Minerals
Gold.
Secondary Metals/Minerals
None stated.
Geology/Mineralisation
Gold at Olimpiada occurs in a complex form, with arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, stibnite, and pyrite. The carbonaceous nature of much of the ore results in Olimpiada ore being highly refractory.
Reserves
Total proven and probable mineral reserves as at December 31, 2020, were estimated at 252-million tonnes grading 2.8 g/t gold.
Resources
Total mineral resources as at December 31, 2020, were estimated at 526-million tonnes grading 2.9 g/t gold.
Mining Method
Mining operations are based on conventional openpit methods.
Major Infrastructure and Equipment
The ore mined at the site is processed at three plants with a combined capacity of over 14-million tonnes of ore a year.
To treat Olimpiada’s sulphide ores, Polyus uses BIONORD, the company’s proprietary bio-oxidation technology.
Prospects
Polyus proceeded with the modernisation of Olimpiada’s BIO 3 unit and the commissioning of two additional reactors at BIO 4 in 2020. The company also introduced magnetic separation of concentrate and retrofitted two BIO tanks at BIO 2 into agitation tanks. These initiatives led to an increase in flotation concentrate processing capacity.
Contact Details
Polyus
Tel +7 495 641 3377
Email info@polyus.com
Sources
Polyus. Website https://polyus.com/ (accessed September 6, 2021)
Polyus. Annual Review 2020.