Udokan field: description

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Udokan deposit in Russia is considered one of the largest. According to experts, more than $1 billion should be spent on its development.

Udokan field: description

The pool is located northeast of Chita, 650 km from the city. The area where the Udokan deposit is located is considered seismically dangerous with a permafrost zone. The average annual temperature is -4 degrees, and in winter it drops to -50. Permafrost penetrates to a depth of up to 800 m. Avalanches are often observed on the territory. There is a high probability of earthquakes with an amplitude of up to 9-10 points. Rocks are distinguished by high strength, abrasiveness, thermal conductivity, and silico hazard. In general, the geological and climatic conditions of the territory cannot be called favorable. In addition, there is almost no infrastructure here.

What is mined in the Udokan field?

The pool is a source of valuable and in-demand raw materials in industry. The total volume of the balance reserve is 20 million tons of copper with an average copper content in the ore up to1.46%, as well as 11.9 thousand tons of silver. The mineral composition of the ores is exceptionally stable. The Udokan copper deposit is a source of chalcocite, chalcopyrite, bornite, magnetite, pyrite, and hematite. Molybdenite, wallerite, pyrrhotite, wittikhenite, marcasite, polydymite, sphalerite, native silver, cob altite, tennantite, stromeyerite, and molybdenite are found here in the form of impurity minerals. In primary ores, about 65% of copper is chalcocite, 20-25% - bornite, 10-15% - chalcopyrite. Secondary minerals include:

1. Widely common - azurite, malachite, gypsum, chalcocite, covelline, iron hydroxides (limonite, goethite).
2. Rarely found - bornite, cuprite, tenorite, native copper, chalcanthite, delafossite, chrysocolla, antlerite, brochantite, melanterite, jarosite and other rocks of the deposition zone.

There are three main mineral associations in the ores of the basin: bornite-chalcosite, chalcopyrite-bornite and pyrite-chalcopyrite. A certain regularity was revealed in the paragenetic relationship of iron and copper minerals. Chalcocite and bornite are associated with magnetite, while chalcopyrite is associated with pyrite. The most common ores include bornite-chalcocite. These rocks are represented by light gray, fine-grained, predominantly quartzitic, weakly calcareous sandstones. Less common are dark gray siltstones, including fine dissemination of bornite and chalcocite. Often against the background of fine-grained ore sandstones containing relatively uniform layerssulfides, lenticular bodies, beds and small pockets of medium-grained sandstones, up to 1.5 m thick, with densely interspersed mineralization, including, in addition to chalcocite and bornite, up to 50% magnetite are revealed.

Getting Started

The Udokan deposit (Zabaikalsky Krai) was discovered in 1949, but exploration activities, however, started and ended twice. In 1981, the reserves were approved by the State Commission. Only in 1992 did the state decide to sell the license to study and develop the basin. The competition was won by the then little-known Udokan Company. It was owned by several foreign companies. For 7 years the company was inactive and eventually lost its license. In 1999, another competition was held, in which only domestic enterprises participated. Based on the results of the tender, the license for exploration activities was transferred to the Zabaikalskaya Mining Company. In 2001, a tender was announced to develop the pool. At the same time, rather strict conditions were set for the participants. The winner had to begin the construction of a mining plant no later than three years from the date of obtaining a license. At the same time, no later than 6.5 years - to start mining. And in a seven-year period, the mining and processing complex was supposed to reach its design capacity. As additional requirements were the obligation to invest in social. sphere, create new jobs and ensure maximum environmental safety of the enterprise. At the same time, as experts noted, such a large-scale project could pay for itself within 10 years.

Completion of the competition

The struggle for the Udokan deposit lasted for several years. Among the applicants were various large corporations. Among them: MMC Norilsk Nickel, Basic Element holding, ONEXIM group. They subsequently withdrew. In the final, which took place only in September 2009, there were Russian Railways and Mikhailovsky GOK. The latter was a member of the Metalloinvest group and won the tender. The winner paid 15 billion rubles for the license. A subsidiary of Mikhailovsky GOK was appointed as an operator for the Udokanskoye deposit. This enterprise was specially formed for the implementation of the project. The company's tasks include developing a development strategy, providing technical and project documentation, attracting investments, and operational management of development. It was assumed that the state corporation Rostekhnologii would function together with it. An agreement was signed with her on cooperation and the construction of a joint venture.

International level

Many foreign enterprises paid attention to the Udokan field. Thus, the economic efficiency of the pool was confirmed by representatives of Bateman Engineering NV. This company carries out a comparative analysis of technologies and justification of the technological scheme for the creation of a mining and smelting plant project. Industrial testing of ores has already begunpool. The results of the activities are used to form an additional database for the preparation of a feasibility study. Meanwhile, the preferred version of the scheme has already been announced. Bateman Engineering NV specialists have proposed a unique technology for processing ores from the Udokan deposit - autoclave leaching of the concentrate. This method has not previously been used in domestic metallurgy. When using this method, the formation of furnace gases is completely eliminated and the environmental burden is significantly reduced.

Prospects

Almost simultaneously with the launch of Bateman Engineering NV, activities began to approve reserves according to JORC world standards. This will increase the investment attractiveness of the pool. The Udokan deposit is being developed by open pit mining. It is assumed that 36 million tons of ore will be processed annually. The plant, in turn, will produce more than 470 kt of cathode copper, while recovering more than 270 tons of silver along the way.

Ore bodies

They are represented by complex lenticular and stratal deposits, complex in their configuration. Often they are stratified and arranged en echelon. In some areas, there are several main bodies located at a distance of 2-3 km along the wiping. The largest and richest of them are located in the northern part of the Naminga brachysyncline. They differ in a general southwestern declination. In the southern part, there is a significant reduction in the thickness of ore bodies.

Structure

The internal structure is determined by mutual transitions and frequent alternation of layers of different intensity of mineralization both along the strike and dip, and in the direction of thickness. In this regard, they are presented in the form of a "layer cake". There is a frequent violation of the compactness of the bodies, especially on the flanks. This is due to the presence of barren layers. This is expressed in a change in the ore-bearing factor from 1 to 0.2. The average is 0.6-0.8. The thicknesses of barren and weakly ore layers vary from fractions of a meter to 5 m. It has been established that the richest ore interlayers and lenses are associated with erosion surfaces, clearly expressed in channel-like depressions and local depressions. When distributing finely woven ores into quartzite-like sandstones, fairly obvious patterns are not revealed. The contours of industrial mineralization are determined according to sampling data.

Main products

It will be cathode copper (grade A according to the classification of the London Metal Exchange) and Doré silver bars. Key concentrate consumers are China and domestic enterprises. Russian copper refineries are already experiencing a shortage of raw materials. The shortage of concentrate also slows down the development of Chinese enterprises producing refined copper. Due to the relatively short distance from Chita, the basin's products are a fairly profitable option for providing them with raw materials. In subsequent years, an increase in demand for concentrate is predicted. This is dueincrease in electrolysis production in Japan, Russia and China.

Conclusion

The authorities of Transbaikalia have high hopes for the Udokan deposit development project. The stable functioning of the enterprise will allow to attract 4 thousand people to work. In addition, the infrastructure will be significantly modernized, the volume of tax payments to the regional budget will increase, social programs are being implemented to develop small nationalities and local crafts. According to a number of experts, it is impossible to postpone the development of the field, as this may adversely affect the economic security of the country. Currently, the demand for raw materials is covered by the Ural and Taimyr basins. However, their reserves are on the verge of depletion. The Udokan field will be able to meet the needs of the industry for at least half a century. Otherwise, there is a threat of a reduction in production. This, in turn, will lead to a deterioration in the socio-economic situation of the country's copper-processing regions.