Baimsky GOK

The proposed mine and processing plant (GOK) comprises the following key production facilities:

an open pit mine that will consist of three pits,
overburden and waste rock dumps,
ore stockpiles,
a concentrator (processing plant), and
a tailings storage facility (TSF).

Mining operations: the deposit will be mined as an open pit using a conventional shovel and haul truck operation. The key mining operations include drilling and blasting, overburden stripping and mine pit establishment, excavation and haulage of ore and waste rock from the pits, and establishment of waste rock dumps and ore stockpiles. Auxiliary mine works would include pit dewatering, in-pit dust control, in-pit electrical distribution, and pit slope monitoring.

Excavated ore would be transported to the concentrator located approximately 2 km from the open pit limits. Ore processing is one of crushing and grinding the ore and separation of desired minerals from the gangue using flotation. The concentrator is designed to process 70 Mt/a and produce approximately 1.5 Mt/a of copper sulphide concentrate at 24% copper along with approximately 13,000 tonnes per annum (t/a) of molybdenum concentrate.

The waste product from the concentrator (tailings) would be disposed in a tailings storage facility (TSF) located in the Peschanka-Yegdegkych River valley. The TSF is designed to be capable of disposing 2.349 Bt of copper tailings over the life of the mine. Process water would be reclaimed from the TFS, and the impoundment capacity will be enough to ensure process water supply for the concentrator during a given 12-month period (ca. 40 million m³). The TSF will be a ‘zero discharge' facility.

The auxiliary facilities of the proposed mine and processing plant include:

an explosives manufacturing and storage facility,
a construction camp (at the constrution phase),
an operations camp comprising offices, accommodation, a canteen and clinic facilities, stores, recreational facilities and so forth,
industrial and potable water supply systems,
sewage treatment plants,
a waste incinerator,
workshops,
a site refueling facility,
an analytical laboratory,
electricity supply and distribution,
service roads connecting the various site components, and
an aerodrome (before its commissioning – a helicopter pad).