A gold mining and processing plant (GOK) will be built at the Ukonik deposit in the Mogochinsky District of the Zabaykalsky Krai. The corresponding agreement was signed by representatives of the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation (KRDV), the government of the Zabaykalsky Krai, and the mining company Zapadnaya (AO "GRK "Zapadnaya") on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).
Governor Alexander Osipov stated that the Zabaykalsky Krai is one of the country's key mineral resource regions. Thanks to the development of the Ukonik deposit, new jobs will be created, and additional tax revenues will flow into the budget, he emphasized.
The investment project involves the creation of 350 jobs, the construction of an underground mine at the Ushumun deposit (approximately 100 km from Ukonik), and the modernization of filtration and direct cyanidation workshops. This is a big step forward for the economic development of Zabaykalye, said Dmitry Tolokonnikov, Chairman of the Board of AO "GRK "Zapadnaya".
The joint work of business, the regional government, and development institutions is the key to the success of such initiatives.
The Ukonik gold ore deposit was discovered in 1969. As of January 1, 2021, the FGBU "Rosgeolfond" accounts for gold reserves for underground mining: 6263 kg (category C1, high degree of exploration) and 18151 kg (category C2, preliminarily estimated reserves).