Russia’s Minister of Natural Resources, Alexander Kozlov, has highlighted the country’s most significant geological discovery of the past year. The Fedorovsko-Kedrovskoye deposit, located in the mountainous area on the border between the Republic of Khakassia and Kemerovo Region (Kuzbass), contains nearly 28 tonnes of gold. Part of the mineralization lies close to the surface, making future open-pit mining economically attractive.
The discovery was made by specialists from the state-owned geological holding Rosgeologia. Russia’s State Reserves Commission (GKZ) has officially approved the resource estimate, adding 21.7 tonnes of gold in the C1 and C2 reserve categories to the national balance sheet. The average ore grade is 1.56 grams of gold per tonne. An additional 6.3 tonnes have been classified as off-balance reserves, as the mineralization lies outside the currently planned boundaries of the future open pit.
Rosgeologia’s Chief Geologist, Artur Uzyunkoyan, described the project as an example of successful cooperation between the state geological survey and private investors. According to him, this partnership enables continuous interpretation of exploration results, rapid adjustments to exploration programs, and more efficient targeting of the most prospective areas.
The project also has significant exploration upside. Geologists have identified additional mineral resources along the flanks of the newly discovered deposit as well as at four neighboring prospects within the same ore field. If confirmed and added to the state balance sheet, these resources could substantially improve the project’s overall economics.
The Fedorovsko-Kedrovskoye area is emerging as a notable case study in modern mineral exploration. It combines the expertise of Russia’s state geological service with private-sector investment and operational flexibility, resulting in the country’s largest hard-rock gold discovery of 2025.
The story of the Fedorovsko-Kedrovskoye deposit is only beginning. Confirmed reserves, together with promising satellite resources, provide a solid foundation for a large-scale mining project capable of supplying processing facilities across southern Siberia for decades to come.
Source: Rosgeologia
Image: Rosgeologia
