Russia boosts gold production 19% in 8M
MOSCOW. Oct 3 (Interfax) - Russia produced 183.855 tonnes of gold in January-August, 19% more than in the same period of last year, the Gold Producers' Union said, quoting preliminary data.
Production of ingots from mined gold grew 12.6% to 146.844 tonnes, from byproduct gold - 5.7% to 11.255 tonnes and from secondary gold - 88.2% to 22.302 tonnes.
Production of gold concentrates with subsequent export or sale in Russia grew 109.7% to 3.454 tonnes.
Russian gold production in ingots and concentrates in 8M 2014 (kg):
| 8M 2014, kg | 8M 2013, kg | Change, kg | Change, % | |
| Gold ingots production | 180 401 | 152 909 | + 27 492 | + 18% |
| Mined gold | 146 844 | 130 417 | +16 427 | + 12,6% |
| Incidental | 11 255 | 10 644 | + 611 | + 5,7% |
| Secondary | 22 302 | 11 848 | + 10 454 | + 88,2% |
| Gold concentrate production* | 3 454 | 1 647 | + 1 807 | + 109,7% |
| Novoshirokinsky Mine, Highland Gold, Trans-Baikal territory** | 792 | 599 | + 193 | + 32,2% |
| Albazino Mine, Polymetal Int, Khabarovsk territory | 638 | |||
| Maisky Mine, Polymetal Int, Chukotka** | 2 662 | 410 | ||
| Total | 183 855 | 154 556 | + 29 299 | + 19% |
* Included in production only after sale to third-party buyers or processing by company itself to finished state
** - Data for H1 2014
*** - Concentrate from OJSC Polymetal's Albazino recovery plant was processed at the Amursk POX facility into Dore gold in 2014
Gold production growth in 8M 2014 was driven mainly by the expansion of Polymetal's Maisky and Olomon hub operations, Polyus Gold's Verninsky recovery plant, Petropavlovsk's Albyn and Malomyr mines and Kinross Gold's Kupol plant; by increased throughput at Nordgold's Tabornoye and Berezitovoye complexes; and by growth in secondary gold production.
Gold mine production by region (kg):
| Region | 8M 2014, kg | 8M 2013, kg | Change, kg | Change, % |
| Krasnoyarsk | 30 001 | 27 539 | + 2 462 | + 8,9% |
| Amur | 20 133 | 16 010 | + 4 123 | + 25,7% |
| Chukotka* | 19 068 | 11 740 | + 7 328 | + 62,4% |
| Magadan | 15 427 | 12 452 | + 2 975 | + 23,9% |
| Yakutia | 14 405 | 12 419 | + 1 986 | + 16,0% |
| Irkutsk | 13 671 | 11 400 | + 2 271 | + 19,9% |
| Khabarovsk | 12 161 | 8 357 | + 3 804 | + 45,5% |
| Sverdlovsk | 6 464 | 4 496 | + 1 968 | + 43,8% |
| Trans-Baikal | 5 238 | 4 368 | + 870 | + 19,9% |
| Buryatia | 4 277 | 3 964 | + 313 | + 7,9% |
| Chelyabinsk | 3 554 | 2 998 | + 556 | + 18,5% |
| Kamchatka | 1 773 | 1 627 | + 146 | + 9,0% |
| Tuva | 1 471 | 1 003 | + 468 | + 46,7% |
| Khakasia | 808 | 854 | - 46 | - 5,4% |
* including gold concentrates