6-2025

CONTENTS # 6/2025

DOI: 10.53085/0034-026X_2025_6_04

УДК 553.493:622.7(470.21+571.1/5)

Mashkovtsev G.A., Korotkov V.V., Kushnarev P.I., Likhnikhevich E.G., Lugovskaya I.G. (VIMS)

RARE-METAL CLUSTERS IN RUSSIA: GEOLOGY AND RESOURCES OF PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT SITES

The article discusses the deposits of the Kola and Eastern Sayan clusters, the development of which can meet the current small needs of the domestic rare-metal industry and their planned growth in the medium term. The clusters include small, medium, and large deposits with estimated reserves of scarce rare metals, including rare earths, which allows for the selection of the most suitable deposits based on the composition of the ores and the annual production of raw materials, in accordance with the needs of the emerging domestic rare-metal industry. The clusters have the necessary energy, transport, and social infrastructure, and most importantly, they have large, developed fields.

Keywords: rare and rare-earth metals, ore processing technology, concentrates, and annual production capacity of mining and processing plants.

Р. 4-11

DOI: 10.53085/0034-026X_2025_6_12

УДК 550.812+622.1:330.322.1

Golovina T.A.1, Petrov S.V.2,3 (1 — First Junior Accelerator LLC, 2 — Institute of Earth Sciences of St. Petersburg State University, 3 — VIMS)

WHY ARE JUNIORS NEEDED IN RUSSIA?

The article provides an in-depth analysis of the role and specifics of junior companies in Russia. The author moves beyond the traditional definition of juniors as small exploration firms, proposing to view them as full-fledged players in the capital market, whose key distinguishing feature is operational autonomy and full financial responsibility for the investments they attract. The motivations of founders, investment models, and, most importantly, the direct benefits for the state from developing the junior sector are examined in detail. These benefits include the acquisition of geological data at no cost, the minimization of budget risks, and the stimulation of regional development. The article answers the key question: do Russia’s juniors need them? They are essential as a highly efficient tool for replenishing the mineral resource base, operating on the principles of private initiative.

Keywords: junior companies, mineral resource sector, geological exploration, replenishment of the resource base, investment in subsoil use, Russian mining industry.

Р. 12-20

DOI: 10.53085/0034-026X_2025_6_20

УДК 551.4.044:528.88:551.2:553.49

Petrov V.A., Andreeva O.V., Pek A.A., Malkovskiy V.I., Poluektov V.V., Ustinov S.A., Minaev V.A., Doynikova O.A. (IGEM RAS)

NEW DATA ON THE CONDITIONS OF FORMATION OF URANIUM ORE OBJECTS AND SCIENTIFIC AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THEIR IDENTIFICATION

In this work, using the example of the Streltsovskoe Ore Field, an analysis of collected data on the conditions of formation of uranium ore objects was carried out, which are summarized in various genetic models. The degree of validation (verification) of these models is analyzed and proposals are presented for the creation of predictive geological models based on new approaches in terms of the application of geoinformation technologies and multifactorial GIS modeling in combination with a mineral-system approach to the analysis of the main factors of ore genesis.

Keywords: uranium ore objects, GIS modeling, mineral-system approach, forecast and exploration models.

Р. 20-26

DOI: 10.53085/0034-026X_2025_6_27

УДК 553.495:553.04(470)

Molchanov A.V. (All-Russian Research Geological Institute of A.P. Karpinsky, Saint Petersburg (Karpinsky Institute))

URANIUM ORE POTENTIAL TERRITORIES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The uranium ore potential of the Russian Federation was reviewed based on the Map of the patterns of distribution and forecast of the main types of uranium deposits in the territory of the Russian Federation at a scale of 1:2,500,000, created by the Department of Metallogeny and Geology of Mineral Deposits at the Karpinsky Institute, in the form of a multi-layer GIS project. Based on the metallogenic analysis of the uranium deposits in Russia, the main geological settings and areas characterized by the presence of various-rank uranium-bearing and uranium-ore structures have been identified, within which it is expected to find deposits of the main ore-formation types of uranium mineralization that are profitable for industrial development. The localization of promising areas was carried out based on the analysis of the manifestation of the most important regional prognostic criteria and signs in a single geological space, such as geological, geochemical, hydrothermal-metasomatic, structural-tectonic, cosmostructural, and other indicators of large-scale uranium-bearing and uranium-ore processes.

Keywords: uranium ore potential, forecast criteria,
uranium, deposits, Russian Federation.

Р. 27-38

DOI: 10.53085/0034-026X_2025_6_39

УДК 553.45:549 (571.56)

Petrochenkov D.A.1, Krivoshchekov N.N.2, Chizhova I.A.3 (1 — RGGRU-MGRI, 2 — VIMS, 3 — IGEM RAS)

MONOMINERAL DISCHARGE OF CASSITERITE FROM THE CHURPUNYA LOCALITY, REPUBLIC OF SAKHA (YAKUTIA)

A monomineral cassiterite aggregate weighing 648 g from the Churpunya deposit located in the north of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has been studied. The deposit belongs to the tin-silicate industrial type (tourmaline mineral type). The complex of studies included optical and petrographic analysis, electron microscopic studies, quantitative determination of the contents of impurity elements in cassiterite, and their mathematical processing. The cassiterite aggregate contains microinclusions of quartz, calcite, apatite, fluorite, aluminosilicate (muscovite), pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, copper sulfate, hematite, goethite; microinclusions of magnesioferrite, wolframite, tungstite, brannerite, and uraninite are expected. Concentrations above 0,001 wt. % have been established in cassiterite: Ti, V, Fe, Zr, Nb, Sb, W, U. Maximum concentrations are fixed for Fe, on average 0,1353 wt. %. Assumptions are made about the conditions of formation of monomineral cassiterite aggregates.

Keywords: tin deposits, cassiterite, microinclusions, impurity elements, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

Р. 39-49

DOI: 10.53085/0034-026X_2025_6_49

УДК 553.062/.67:551.24:553.411(575.1)

Turapov M.K.1., Umaraliev A.2, Ziyomov B.Z.3 (1 — State Institution «Institute of Mineral Resources», 2 — Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 3 — National University of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

TECTONO-MAGMATIC FACTORS CONTROLLING ENDOGENOUS MINERALIZATION IN THE NORTH-NURATA REGION

The work is devoted to the study of the structures of the North-Nuratau region and determination of their role in the placement of gold mineralization. The structures of the region are studied based on the application of cosmogeological research methods. The position of Northern Nuratau, its main structure — the North-Nuratau deep fault in the system of ore-concentrating structures of Central Asia, in the linear structures of the Mohorovicic surface is considered. Based on the conducted research, a morphostructural zone concentrating gold mineralization was identified for the first time in the North-Nuratau region.

Keywords: North Nuratau, North-Nuratau fault, structures, mineralization, ore-concentrating, hidden, ring, linear.

Р. 49-54

DOI: 10.53085/0034-026X_2025_6_55

УДК 550.839+550.812(550.814)

Babayants P.S.1, Kontarovich O.R.2, Trusov A.A.1 (1 — Aerogeofizika, 2 — Scientific and Technical Center Aerogeofizika)

FEATURES OF INTEGRATING AIRGEOPHYSICAL METHODS IN MINERAL PROSPECTING

The development trends of modern airborne geophysical technologies are analyzed. The feasibility and feasibility of combining any information channels in the required combination on a single aircraft are demonstrated. This significantly reduces the time and cost of mineral exploration due to a comprehensive study of the territory in a single overflight and contributes to a significant increase in geological efficiency.

Keywords: airborne geophysical technologies, integration, mineral exploration, modeling, interpretation.

Р. 55-62

DOI: 10.53085/0034-026X_2025_6_63

УДК 553.3.041: 553.493 (575.16)

Achilov A.R. (Uzbek Geology Kidiruv JSC Ministry of Mining and Geology of the Republic of Uzbekistan)

PETROGEOCHEMISTRY OF DIKES OF THE EAST ALTYNTAU AREA (BUKANTAU MOUNTAINS, UZBEKISTAN)

The article examines the petrographic and geochemical characteristics of dikes of the East Altyntau prospect area (Bukantau Mountains) — as representatives of young magmatism and a possible source of ore formation. The area represents the eastern open part of the granitoid intrusion of the same name, including the endo- and exocontact parts of the intrusion and the host rocks of the Kokpatas and Khodjaakhmet formations. Several ore-bearing promising areas have been identified in the area — Eastern, Southern, Derbez, Eastern Derbez, Sarapan, Berylovaya, Vismuthovaya, etc., where higher-clarke values of rare, rare-earth, noble and other elements-metals are manifested. Results for the content of impurity elements lamprophyres are characterized by a high content of barium, chromium, nickel, niobium, tantalum, scandium, hafnium, uranium, gallium with equal molybdenum, rhenium, silver, arsenic, selenium and low tungsten, antimony, bismuth and are enriched with rare earth elements, especially heavy lanthanides. The contents of silver (4.06 g/t) and arsenic (77.7 g/t) are sharply increased in plagiogranite porphyries.

Keywords: Dikes, lamprophyres, plagiogranites, petrogeochemistry, trace elements. REE, lanthanides, East Altyntau prospect area.

Р. 63-69

DOI: 10.53085/0034-026X_2025_6_70

УДК 622.772: 622.791: 669.822: 571.54/55

Avdonin G.I.1, Ivanov F.S.1, Prozorova M.V.1, Saschenko A.V.1, Velichkina N.S.2, Koltsov V.Yu.2 (1 — VIMS, 2 — JSC Elkon MMC, Republic of Sakha)

APPLICATION OF GEOTECHNOLOGICAL METHODS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SOLID MINERAL DEPOSITS

The article discusses geotechnological methods for the development of solid mineral deposits of various geological and industrial types, which have proven themselves well over a half-century period when developing downhole underground leaching of sandstone-
type uranium objects, heap and block leaching of gold and uranium from poor and off-balance rock ores. In recent years, positive results have been obtained from laboratory and field geotechnological tests of heap leaching of poor manganese ores and technogenic waste of molybdenum and copper. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the feasibility of creating and implementing a program of mineral-geotechnological study, laboratory and field tests of TPIs of a wide range of types of suitability for geotechnological redistribution, traditionally processed in the factory by hydrometallurgical methods.

Keywords: geotechnological methods, downhole, heap and block leaching, productive solution, extraction of metals.

Р. 70-80

DOI: 10.53085/0034-026X_2025_6_81

УДК 622.013

Guskov O.I., Ivanov S.N., Kushnarev P.I. (VIMS)

SPECIFICITY OF STATE EXAMINATION OF MINERAL RESERVES OF PREVIOUSLY MINED DEPOSITS

The article analyzes the difficulties that arise when updating the conditions and revaluation the reserves of solid mineral deposits that were previously in the unlicensed fund of Russian Federation. It is concluded that an informal approach to assessing the completeness and quality of materials on such deposits during a state examination is necessary.

Кeywords: updating the conditions, revaluation of reserves, completeness of materials, methodological recommendations, state examination.

Р. 81-85

DOI: 10.53085/0034-026X_2025_6_85

УДК 622.775

Rudenko A.A. (RUSBURMASH, Moscow)

TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR URANIUM ORE MINING BY BOREHOLE UNDERGROUND LEACHING IN NON-TRIVIAL CONDITIONS

Advanced uranium mining technologies in difficult geotechnological conditions are considered. Innovative solutions have been proposed for mining uranium ores in conditions of gas saturation of the productive reservoir, simultaneous extraction of uranium from multi-tiered uranium ores and involvement in the development of technological off-balance during ore localization in anhydrous horizons. All technologies are patented.

Keywords: leaching solution, geotechnology, innovation, patent, underground leaching, productivity, ore body, hole, uranium.

Р. 85-89

DOI: 10.53085/0034-026X_2025_6_90

УДК 622.342.1+622.349.5:622.772

Sarychev G.A., Koltsov V.Yu., Trubakov Yu.M., Kolpakov G.A., Demidov K.M., Gryaznov V.M., Gryaznov M.V. (Elkonsky GMK, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia))

USE OF NON-CYANIDE REAGENTS IN PHASE-BY-PHASE LEACHING OF GOLD AND URANIUM

The results of studies on heap leaching of oxidized gold-uranium-containing ores from the Severnoye deposit are presented. Cyanide-
free reagents have been tested for the extraction of valuable components during the leaching stage in alkaline-carbonate media. Studies have been conducted on the sorption extraction of uranium from productive heap leaching solutions in a static mode. Promising uranium sorbents have been identified.

Keywords: gold, uranium, heap leaching, sorption, non-cyanide reagents.

Р. 90-95
Категория: 2025