Darasun Mine, Vershino-Darasunskiy, Russia:

E. M. Anoshina, Chief Geologist

IPKON, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia:
E. N. Esina, Senior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, esina555@lst.ru

Development of Darasun gold ore deposit was initiated in beginning of the 20^th century. Lode gold was first extracted by digging and, then, by underground mining. For the years of operation, more than 100 t of gold was produced. Talatuy gold was stricken in the 1960s, many occurrences of gold and polymetals were discovered within the deposit. The long-term mining operations have generated a complicated geotechnical situation. UGC Gold Mining Company faced a stressful social situation in the mining region. It was necessary to find solutions toward the improvement of the ecological situation formed in the region within the secular history of development of the deposits. The Darasun Mine strategy is aimed to gradually take out the mine to operation without loss, to modernize production, improve working conditions and to develop technologies with minimized ecological damage. The team-work research undertaken by UGC and IPKON in the recent years provided justification of the strategy for Darasun and Talatuy deposits. After the geological exploration and R&D, it was decided on mining at Darasun deposit by the hybrid open pit/underground method. The design solutions are based on the principles of the environmentally sound cycle of integrated subsoil development with regard to the process efficiency.
The study has been supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Project No. 14-37-00050.

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