In an interview with the “Pro Metal” publication, Oleg Kazanov spoke about the key tasks of the agency: reducing the shortage of strategic metals, a responsible approach to land reclamation and the involvement of man-made deposits in the turnover.
The head of the Federal Agency for Subsoil Use (Rosnedra) outlined the priorities of the agency in a changing market. He noted that issuance of licenses in itself does not solve the problem of shortage of raw materials. The key task is the formation of sustainable technological chains from production to products with high added value, which requires a coordinated industrial policy.
Casanov commented on the situation with auctions on scarce minerals. According to him, the trend is that licenses for metals such as lithium, uranium, chromium, manganese and tungsten are acquired mainly by large industrial groups, for which it is part of existing or prospective production chains. He expressed confidence that by 2030, production of lithium, graphite, vanadium, niobium, and tungsten in Russia will exceed domestic needs.
Separately, the head of Rosnedra touched upon a bill on the mandatory formation of funds for future land reclamation before the start of mining, in particular, placer gold. He supported the need to resolve this issue, especially for fields with a short development period, but emphasized that the mechanism should be balanced and not slow down the development of responsible companies.
The topic of involving man-made objects in the processing – dumps and tailings of previous years – was also discussed. Casanov noted that production without preliminary reserve assessment, including simplified schemes (as in the case of exploration and production ranges – REP), contradicts the law. At the same time, Rosnedra is working to simplify procedures for exploration of such objects. Methodological recommendations have already been approved that allow for the assessment of reserves desk-based on the basis of archival data, which reduces costs and time for subsoil users.
The position of Rosnedra is aimed at finding a balance between state control over subsoil, environmental requirements and creating conditions for investment in geological exploration and production. The Agency intends to improve the regulatory framework, working together with business and experts.
Source: About Metal
Image: Rosnedra
