Despite lockdown measures in place, Russian gold miner Petropavlovsk remains on track to commission the second flotation plant at the Pioneer mine in the fourth quarter, doubling the group’s flotation capacity from 3.6-million to 7.2-million tonnes a year.
In a statement, Petropavlovsk said that all key equipment items necessary to complete construction of the plant had arrived in Russia.
The miner also confirmed that it has the necessary licences in place to export gold for sale outside of Russia, after the Central Bank of Russia temporarily suspended gold purchases. Shipments have been made to the UK and Switzerland in April.
On Covid-19 measures, Petropavlovsk said that none of its employees had been diagnosed with the respiratory disease. Petropavlovsk's mining operations and POX Hub are naturally isolated and away from population centres, and the group has implemented measures in each operating jurisdiction to meet government guidelines which are appropriate to the specific needs of each location, including its head offices.