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Udokan Copper Field

Prospect in Russia with commodities Copper, Gold, Silver
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Ownership information
  13. Reserves and resources
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. General comments
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10255184
MAS/MILS ID 4520000235
Record type Site
Current site name Udokan Copper Field
Alternate or previous names Udokan, Udokan Deposits.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 118.16559, 56.49782 (WGS84)
Elevation 1800
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Russia(country)

Europe(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
Russia

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Gold Tertiary
Silver Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Unknown
Chalcocite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 118.16559, 56.49782
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 315M
    Length 25000M
    Width 10000M
    Area 25000HA
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 STRATIFORM
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #2 MASSIVE
    Type of Orebody #3 MASS SULFIDE
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Secondary mode of Origin OXIDATION
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Secondary Ore Control FOLDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. SLIGHT
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Total Surface Area (HA) 25000
    Date of Last Modification 920430

Comments on the geologic information

  • 60-65% OF COPPER IN CHALCOCITE, 20-25% IN BORNITE, AND 10- 15% IN CHALCOPYRITE. ORE GRADE IS 2-3%(INTERFAX 4/20/92).

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1949

Mining district

District name Udokan

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Russia Government
    Interest 100
    Home office Russia
    Year 1992
  • Type Operator
    Owner Chita Province Governorship
    Home office Russia
    Year 1992

Comments on the ownership information

  • PROPERTY IS OPEN FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENT, JOINT VENTURE, OR DEVELOPMENT. FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT MR. LEONID SARIN, DIRECTOR GENERAL, CHITA PRODUCTION GEOLOGICAL CORP., KALININ ST. 91, 672090 CHITA, RUSSIA. THE UDOKAN DEPOSIT BOASTS OF 1.2 BILLION METRIC TONS OF ORE GRADING 2 PERCENT COPPER AND HAS NOW BEEN AWARDED TO A RUSSIAN CONSORTIUM, THE UDOKAN MINING COMPANY (UMC). DURING THE TENDER, SIX OTHER COMPANIES SHOWED INTEREST, BUT UMC ENDED UP WITH THE WINNING BID. UMC IS 45 PERCENT OWNED BY A CHINESE ENTREPRENEUR EDDIE WONG, BASED IN NEW YORK AND HONG KONG. OF THE REST OF THE CONSORTIUM, 35 PERCENT IS OWNED BY RUSSIAN ENTREPRENEURS, THE ARTER GROUP, AND 20 PERCENT BY THE RUSSIAN ADMINISTRATION IN THE EASTERN CHITA PROVINCE.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Indicated 170600000mt ore
    Demonstrated 170600000mt ore
    Total resources 170600000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.76 wt-pct Copper Major 1993
    Silver Ag 15 g/mt Silver Trace 1993
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Inferred 754400000mt ore
    Total resources 754400000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.52 wt-pct Copper Major 1993
    Silver Ag 12.9 g/mt Silver Trace 1993
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Total resources 385100mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 1.36 wt-pct Copper Major 1993
    Silver Ag 13.3 g/mt Silver Trace 1993

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RESOURCES REPORTED IN RECORD 2 REFER TO SOVIET CATEGORY B, RESOURCES REPORTED IN RECORD 3 REFER TO SOVIET CATEGORY C1, RESOURCES REPORTED IN RECORD 4 REFER TO SOVIET CATEGORY C2, REPORTED CUTOFF IS 0.6% CU, 10 FT THICKNESS. DATA BASED ON 60 KM TRENCHES, 62 KM DRILLING, 70 KM DRIFTING AND 54 OTHER TEST CORES. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE 770 MILLION MT OF WASTE GRADING 0.3-0.6% CU.
  • CONTRACTOR REPORTS AVERAGE GRADE OF 1.5% CU AND 10 G AG/ MT.
  • DEPOSIT LOCATED AT HIGHEST PART OF THE UDOKAN RIDGE, 1400-2200 METERS ELEVATION. REGION HAS HIGH SEISMICITY, MAKING BLASTING DIFFICULT. UDOKAN MINING, A SOVIET JOINT VENTURE, HAS BEEN AWARDED CONTRACT TO DEVELOP THE DEPOSIT (INTERFAX 1/93.) INITIAL PLANS TO SMELT MATERIAL FROM UDOKAN IN CHINA. DEPOSIT LOCATED 25 KM SOUTH OF CHARA, RUSSIA (NORTH OF CHITA, EAST OF LAKE BAIKAL. DEMONSTRATED RESOURCE ESTIMATE REPORTED IN ADIT CONSISTS OF SOVIET CATEGORIES B+CI+C2
  • RESERVE ESTIMATES RANGE FROM 20-1,300 MMT AT CUTOFF GRADE OF 0.6% CU. APPROX. 1/3 OF RESOURCE IS MINABLE BY OPEN PIT METHODS, 2/3 MINABLE BY UNDERGROUND METHODS. APPROX. 50% IS UNOXIDIZED, 45% PARTIALLY UNOXIDIZED, AND 5% WHOLLY OXIDIZED. FLOTATION TESTS INDICATE CONCENTRATE AVERAGES 25-32% CU, 330 G AG/MT AND .3 G AU/MT. PLANNED PRODUCTION IS 400,000 MT AG AND 500 KG AU YEARLY. RESERVES REPORTED TO BE 18 MILLION MT AT 1% CU (INTERFAX 1/93.)

Comments on other economic factors

  • THE CANADIAN GOLD MINER GOLDBELT RESOURCES, PLUMPED FOR THE KAZAKH VENTURE AFTER BURNING ITS FINGERS ON THE UDOKAN COPPER DEPOSIT, WHERE THE COMPANY LOST THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TO THE DEPOSIT IN MAGADAN, IN THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST, WHEN THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO PUT UDOKAN OUT FOR INTERNATIONAL TENDER INSTEAD.
  • THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT HAS INITIALLY INSTRUCTED THE MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY TO HOLD AN INTERNATIONAL TENDER BEFORE NOVEMBER 1, 1992 FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THE UDOKAN FIELDS. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UDOKAN FIELDS IS TO OCCUR IN STAGES. THESE STAGES INVOLVE THE FOLLOWING: 1) THE BUILDING OF A LARGE ORE REFINING PLANT AND AN OPEN CAST MINE. THE APPROXIMATED COST OF THE PLANT HAS BEEN FIXED AT ABOUT R 2.9 BILLION, R 2.1 BILLION OF WHICH WILL BE SPENT ON CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION WORK. R 110 MILLION, IN 1984 PRICES, HAS ALREADY BEEN SPENT ON GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WORK AND EXPLORATION. THE OPEN CAST MINE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE 30 MILLION METRIC TONS OF ORE, OR 280,000 METRIC TONS OF COPPER PER YEAR; 2) THE BUILDING OF POWER STATIONS TO SUPPLY THE PLANT WITH HEAT AND ELECTRICITY. THESE POWER STATIONS WILL RUN ON COAL SUPPLIED FROM THE APSAT COAL FIELDS. THE CONSTRUCTION OF A WATER SUPPLY FROM UNDERGROUND ARTESIAN WELLS; AND 3) THE BUILDING OF A TOWN WITH A PROJECTED POPULATION OF 40,000 TO 45,000 PEOPLE SOME 3 TO 5 KILOMETERS FROM THE RAILWAY STATION AT CHARA, WHICH IS SITUATED CLOSE TO THE FIELDS. THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR THE UDOKAN FIELDS ALSO PROVIDES FOR THE BUILDING OF THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE, CONSTRUCTION OF UNDERGROUND SIDINGS, AND ORGANIZATION OF SOCIAL PROJECTS. THE FIRST STAGE IS EXPECTED TO COST $1 BILLION BEFORE THE FIRST KILOGRAM OF CONCENTRATE IS EXTRACTED. THE WHOLE UDOKAN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IS PLANNED TO LAST 30 YEARS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Commodity

    INTERFAX, MINING REPORT, P. 6 (APRIL 6-13, 1992).

  • Commodity

    INTERFAX, MINING REPORT, P. 9 (APRIL 13-20, 1992).

  • Commodity

    METAL BULLETIN, P. 13 (JAN. 7, 1993).

  • Commodity

    INTERFAX, MINING REPORT, P. 4 (JUNE 26 - JULY 3, 1992).

  • Deposit

    INTERFAX. MINING REPORT. OCT. 9, 1992.

  • Deposit

    METALS WEEK. JULY 20, 1992.

  • Deposit

    AMM. JUNE 19, 1992.

  • Deposit

    INTERFAX. MINING RECORD. JUNE 26, 1992.

  • Deposit

    INTERFAX. MINING RECORD. JULY 3, 1992.

  • Deposit

    INTERFAX. MINING RECORD. JULY 17, 1992.

  • Deposit

    INTERFAX. MINING RECORD. MAR. 2, 1992.

  • Deposit

    INTERFAX MINING REPORT, JAN 22-29 (1993).

  • Reserve-Resource

    INTERFAX. MINING RECORD. MAY 3, 1993.

  • Reserve-Resource

    BACKER, H.A. PRES. AT NORTHWEST MINING ASSOCIATION ANNUAL

  • Reserve-Resource

    MEETING. SPOKANE, WA. DEC. 1993.

  • Deposit

    BOGDANOV, Y.V. ET. AL. CUPRIFEROUS DEPOSITS OF THE OLEKMO

  • Deposit

    VITIM MOUNTAIN COUNTRY, 1966. (RUSSIAN ONLY)

  • Deposit

    BOGDANOV, Y.V. ET. AL. STRATIFORM COPPER DEPOSITS OF THE

  • Deposit

    USSR. 1973. (RUSSIAN ONLY)

  • Deposit

    KRASON, J., ABSTRACT-GSA CONVENTION, PERTH, VOL. 3, 1981, P.

  • Deposit

    6-7.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, JANUARY 30, 1976, P. 75.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE UDOKAN DEPOSIT LIES IN THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF THE OLEKMA-VITIM MOUNTAIN COUNTRY IN THE UDOKAN RANGE. UDOKAN DEPOSIT HAS NEVER PRODUCED BUT IS BEING MARKETED FOR JOINT VENTURE. DEPOSIT HAS POOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND WILL REQUIRE MUCH CAPITAL TO DEVELOP.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 25-SEP-1996 Wilburn, David R. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

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