Rostec planning to produce and process beryllium ore at Malysheva field
KALININGRAD. May 21 (Interfax) - Rostec is preparing a project for the production and processing beryllium ore at the Malysheva mine in the Sverdlovsk region, which belongs to OJSC Kaliningrad Amber Combine, the press service of the plant said with reference to the director of the Kaliningrad Amber Combine's board of directors, Vitaly Mashchintsky.
"Our task is to not only to get the production of emeralds established, but to return to beryllium and other minerals. We are preparing a feasibility study on the production of beryllium ore and its processing into beryllium concentrate," Mashchitsky said.
He said that after a long break at Malysheva, the production of emeralds has again begun, and from April 1, it is being carried out in two stages. The difficult mining and geological conditions of the field made the mine shaft method sensible, which requires serious investments in technology, equipment and safety provisions for production.
"There is not only obsolete equipment and technology there, no one has engaged in the development and the market there for many years, and marketing also requires investments. The production of emeralds and beryllium at Malysheva will be taken into account in the development strategy of Kaliningrad Amber Combine, which is being drafted now," Mashchitsky said.
Earlier the CEO of OJSC Kaliningrad Amber Combine, Mikhail Zatsepin, said that every month Malysheva allocates about 35 million rubles to support the company in a viable state.
Malyshva is the only enterprise in Russia for the commercial production of emeralds and beryllium. The main minerals of the field are beryllium oxide and emeralds, mineral byproducts - chrysoberyl, phenacite, alexandrite, phlogopite, lithium, rubidium, cesium. For the 8M 2014 more than 32,000 tonnes of ore were produced at the field and more than 24,000 tonnes were processed.