The Magadan region retains its status as a key region for alluvial gold mining, providing a quarter of the all-Russian volume. Stable metal extraction supports the economy and employment in the region, and the future of the industry is linked to the development of technogenic deposits.
According to a study published in the journal Mineral Resources of Russia, the region has maintained a leading position for almost a hundred years. Annual production has been maintained at 16–18 tons, largely due to the introduction of new technologies that make it possible to effectively work with areas that have lower metal content.
This industry plays a system-forming role for the region. It accounts for 12% of total revenues and 17% of its own tax revenues in the consolidated budget. In the mining sector placer gold employs more than half of all workers in the region’s gold mining industry, which is about 10% of total employment in the region’s economy.
The main challenge for the industry is the limited horizon of provision with classical balance reserves, which is estimated at 8–15 years. However, experts see significant potential in the development of the technogenic gold-bearing complex – dumps and tailings from previous years of development. This could increase the resource base to more than 40 years.
The future of stable alluvial gold mining in the Magadan region and in Russia as a whole depends on creating conditions for the involvement of man-made resources in circulation. This window of opportunity has the potential to ensure the long-term sustainability of an important industry for the region.
Source: @MinResRus
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