Minister: Work on verification of all mining deposits in Armenia will begin in the very near future

ArmInfo. Very soon work will  begin on the implementation of the decree of the Prime Minister of  the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, on the inspection at the  exploited mines and deposits in Armenia. The Minister of Energy  Infrastructures and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia  Artur Grigoryan told journalists on May 25.

According to him, the department has already received the order of  the Prime Minister, work on its implementation has begun. "All  research data will be published in a short time," the minister  stressed.  Earlier, RA Prime Minister instructed the authorities to  start inspections at the exploited mines and mineral deposits in  Armenia. He noted that recently there have been a lot of signals  about the compliance of these mines with the legislation and  environmental standards of the country. "We will be consistent in  this matter, recently, both in the whole world and in Armenia  environmental problems are actively discussed, and a balanced  approach is needed in this issue, as well as in a number of others,"  the prime minister said, stressing that only with this approach will  not manage to bring the matter to negative consequences, including  those related to investments.

Pashinyan also noted that recently he receives signals that some  developers of mines do not fulfill their financial obligations. "We  have information that the debts of these companies to the state  budget are several hundred million drams," Pashinyan said, adding  that the checks will be conducted on all metal fields.  According to  the prime minister, if it is established that a particular mine or  some company can not organize its activities within the framework of  the law, then the corresponding legal consequences will follow. "The  Armenian government also decided to invite environmental  organizations and journalists to take part in these inspections in  order to ensure their full transparency," concluded Pashinyan.

The sphere of mining industry occupies a special place in the  Armenian economy. At least half of Armenia's exported deposits fall  to the share of ore concentrates and metals, which occupy the most  important place in the list of products imported from the country. At  the state balance of mineral resources, more than 670 deposits of  solid minerals with confirmed reserves, including 30 metal deposits,  are currently registered. About 400 of these deposits are exploited,  including 22 metal ones. There are 7 copper-molybdenum deposits, 4  copper, 14 gold and gold-polymetallic deposits, 2 iron ore and 1  aluminum ore on metallic minerals. In the ore of the deposits  registered in the State Balance, in addition to the basic metals,  rare elements and their placers have been identified: rhenium,  selenium, tellurium, cadmium, indium, helium, waist, bismuth and  others.

Currently, for the mining and metallurgical complex of Armenia the  final products are mainly concentrates (copper, molybdenum, zinc, in  some cases - high in gold and silver, in the near future also lead  concentrate), which does not allow to fully exploit the economic  potential of the deposits. The organization of production for the  processing of minerals mined in Armenia in a closed and final cycle -  from extraction to the creation of finished products - will enable  production of high-value products, which can provide significant GDP  growth.

There are 15 tailing dumps on the territory of Armenia, where waste  accumulated during the exploitation of mineral deposits exceeding a  few million cubic meters and accumulating about 700 hectares has been  accumulated. Currently, industrial wastes accumulated in tailing  dumps formed as a result of industrial extraction and processing of  minerals are not used, although they contain a considerable amount of  polymetals.

The Republic of Armenia also occupies one of the leading places in  the world for the richness and diversity of nonmetallic ore reserves.  Almost all known ore minerals are found on the small territory of  Armenia.  Minerals originating in Armenia as a result of volcanic  processes, including light rocks such as tuffs, perlites, pumice,  zeolites, volcanic slags, etc., are of special value and importance.  Huge quantities of reserves of various types of basalt, granite,  nepheline syenite, marble. Reserves of the highest quality and the  most intumescent rocks (perlites, obsidians and others) are in the  world in Armenia. The confirmed reserves of the Aragats-perlite in  Armenia are 150 million m3, and the total amount of its projected  reserves is up to 3 billion m3. More than 100 basalt and andesite  deposits are mapped over the whole territory of Armenia, several of  which are unique in their composition (MgO content in basalta from  Khalaja reaches up to 11%). The deposits of quartzites, carbonates,  zeolites, volcanic slags, pumice, clay, bentonites, diatomites, and  gypsum with their significant reserves, which are functioning on the  territory of Armenia, are invaluable in their significance and  qualitative indicators.