Alrosa considering purchasing new gold assets - Yakutia head

ALDAN/MOSCOW. July 21 (Interfax) - Alrosa is considering the purchase of new gold mining assets, head of Yakutia Aysen Nikolayev told journalists.

Asked about prospects for exploring polymetallic deposits, Nikolayev said gold mining was the main priority in Alrosa's diversification strategy, though the company was also looking into polymetal production projects. "They [polymetallic deposits] don't need to be explored - we already know where to find what," he said.

Nikolayev said again that Alrosa had already acquired a large gold mining project in the Magadan region, the Degdekan deposit.

"We are also considering other projects," he said, without disclosing the possible sum of investments, which he said had not been discussed by Alrosa's supervisory board.

"I am sure that Alrosa will continue to be the world's largest diamond producer and will also invest in other industries in order to diversify, including in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)," Nikolayev said.

He said that the company had participated in discussions with the State Precious Metals and Gemstones Repository (Gokhran) on possibly selling part of its output, but the timeline and volumes of this are currently unknown.

"We understand the range of what the company is prepared to offer to the Gokhran for purchasing at the moment. The general terms of the deal are clear, on the whole, but I can't currently provide any information on a finalized timeline or the volumes to be sold," he said.

The federal budget for 2025-2027 allocates 154.5 billion rubles or $1.55 billion for the Gokhran to procure precious metals and gemstones. Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseyev said in June that the Gokhran could spend half of the budget allocations on diamonds this year. The deal was motivated by the need to support Alrosa amid a prolonged crisis on the diamond market.