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Construction of the Khvoynoye gold processing plant with capacity of 3 million tonnes of ore progresses on schedule.

The Khvoynoye gold ore deposit is situated at the south-west of the Nizhne-Yakokitskoye ore field in the Aldan district of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Seligdar Gold JSC, a subsidiary of Seligdar PJSC, holds the license for the deposit. The balance gold reserves of C1+C2 categories comprise 16.8 tonnes; the JORC reserves, 10.2 tonnes; indicated JORC resources amount to 10.5 tonnes, inferred, 14.9 tonnes of gold.

The Khvoyny production complex is being constructed to develop the deposit and it will include all the necessary buildings, facilities, machinery for ore mining, transportation and metal extraction, particularly, gold processing plant. The plant will process 3 million tonnes of ore per year and expected production of the plant stands at 2.5 tonnes of gold per year. The plant will employ the direct leaching of gold technology.

The design and research works started in 2020: engineer studies were conducted and a project was developed based on the technologies of mining and processing of gold ore under difficult geological and climatic conditions of the North.

In 2022, the positive reviews of State ecological expert and Glavgosexpertiza (‘Main Department of State Expertise’) for the project of construction of the Khvoynoye mining and processing complex were obtained. By the end of the year, 73% of the machinery and equipment were contracted including mills, crushing machines, conveyors, filter presses, tanks, hoisting machines. The design of a 110/6 kW substation is completed. The overhead power line at 110 kW to supply the Khvoyny production complex is constructed.

Besides, a new ore assay laboratory was constructed at the headquarters of Seligdar PJSC in Aldan town, literally in a few tens of kilometres from the Khvoyny. The laboratory complex of 3,000 square meters is put into operations and will be firstly used to assay samples taken at the Khvoynoye deposit. The laboratory is equipped with the cutting-edge machines including the Herzog industrial robot that automatically split, crush and pulverize samples. This is the first laboratory robot of this class in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

Regarding the current work and plans for the mining and processing complex construction, the tender for its construction contractor progresses to a final stage. After it, the construction of the plant, filtration facility, warehouse for chemicals and materials will switch to an active stage. In 2024, according to the plan, the works will cover an organisation of an ore reception area, a conveyor belt; assembling of the technological equipment for the main building of the plant, of a technical service and filtration facilities. At the end of 2024, the pre-commissioning of technological equipment will start. The plant is expected to reach its full operating capacity in 2025.