Explored resources
The territory of the CAO contains 10% of the explored gold deposits of Russia. It is estimated that as of January 1, 2006, Okrug’s gold deposits amount to 527.6 tons. This figure includes both balance and beyond-balance resources of lode and placer gold.Table 1. Explored gold deposits of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
| Balance | Beyond-Balance | ||
| Category À+B+C1 | Category Ñ2 | ||
| Total | 203,1 | 198,1 | 126,4 |
| Lode | 81,0 | 195,1 | 113,5 |
| Placer | 122,1 | 3,0 | 12,9 |
As of January 1, 2006, 513 gold deposits were found. They differ in types and methods of mining:
Table 2. Gold deposits by types and methods of mining:
| Type of deposit | Method of mining | Volume of Gold, in tons |
| total | 527,6/513 | |
| lode | 389,6/7 | |
| placer, including: | 138/507 | |
| open pit | 61,0/364 | |
| Underground | 62,8/106 | |
| Hydraulic | 2,8/34 | |
| Dredge | 11,4/3 |
Distribution of gold deposits is different for each region of the Okrug.
Table 3 shows balance gold deposits (beyond-balance is given in the brackets):
Table 3. Gold deposits by districts and areas (approximate figures):
| Administrative District | Type of Gold, | Estimated | Number of |
| Method of Mining | Volume (in tons) | Mines | |
| Anadyr | 22,1 (1,7) | 72 | |
| Lode | 1 | ||
| placer | 71 | ||
| including: | |||
| dredge | 1 | ||
| hydraulic | 1 | ||
| open pit | 64 | ||
| underground | 5 | ||
| Bilibin | 65,7 (4,5) | 270 | |
| Lode | 2 | ||
| placer | 268 | ||
| including: | |||
| dredge | 1 | ||
| hydraulic | 31 | ||
| open pit | 197 | ||
| underground | 39 | ||
| Yioultin | 26,0 (7,9) | 24 | |
| placer | 24 | ||
| including: | |||
| dredge | 1 | ||
| open pit | 9 | ||
| underground | 14 | ||
| Chaoun | 165,9 (114,2) | 78 | |
| Lode | 2 | ||
| placer | 76 | ||
| including: | |||
| hydraulic | 4 | ||
| open pit | 62 | ||
| underground | 10 | ||
| Providensk | 0,4 | 5 | |
| placer | 5 | ||
| open pit | 5 | ||
| Shmidt | 31,2 (4,4) | 76 | |
| Lode | 1 | ||
| placer | 75 | ||
| including: | |||
| hydraulic | 3 | ||
| open pit | 32 | ||
| underground | 40 |
Resources forecast
Resource expectations exceed the explored resources by many times. As of 01.01.2005, the Ministry of Industry and Development of Russia approved resource forecast for lode gold in 26 locations showing positive geologic and economic parameter.The total resource forecast for categories Pi-P2-P3 is 950 tons including:
1.290 tons (30.5%) transferred to licensed extractors;
2.660 tons (69.5%) still undistributed.
Total resources according to forecast:
89% - lode gold;
11% - placer gold.
Lode gold of the prime line of mining (new gold deposits profitable for mining in contemporary economic conditions are expected) is divided into the following categories:
1Ð1 – 40%,
2Ð2 – 54%,
3Ð3 – 21%.
Resources and potential gold deposits differ from district to district.
1.Chukotka metallogenic system has been studied best of all. Here the main resources and potential placer gold deposits are situated. The discovered and explored lode gold deposits and prospective lode deposits consist mainly of gold-quartz and gold-sulphide.
2.Oloysk metallogenic system, the second largest system. It is characterized by high placerity of gold. Ore deposits are mainly gold-quartz and molybdenum-copper gold containing formation.
3.Okhot-Chukotka metallogenic belt primarily includes ore deposits of gold-silver formation type.
4.Koryat-Kamchat Province has been studied very little, but there are prospects of finding gold-containing ore deposits of gold-quartz and molybdenum-copper, lode and placer deposits of platinum there.
In eastern parts of the Okrug, presence gold-silver vulcanite and gold-sulphite metamorphosis traces (“Maiskoe” deposits, for example) has been located.
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