POX Processing hub
The Group is installing a pressure oxidation (“POX”) processing facility at its Pokrovskiy mine to process flotation concentrate from Pioneer and Malomir.
The move to POX technology is a significant step for the Group as currently, very few places in Russia are able to extract gold from so-called “refractory” ores, despite the fact that they make up the majority of the Russian reserves and resources base.
The location of the POX facility means that the necessary infrastructure is already in place for the creation of a processing “hub” – Pokrovskiy is the group’s historical home so already has a skilled workforce, suitable roads and a power supply. In addition, it is located just over six miles from the Trans-Siberian Railway – ideal for accessing concentrate from potential, future acquisitions.
The move to POX processing is the result of five years’ worth of research in Russia by the Group’s specialist in-house teams. Petropavlovsk also operates a unique metallurgical test plant in Blagoveschensk, the first of its kind in Russia, which allows the group to carry out extensive studies of bulk tonnage samples on pilot lines.
Petropavlovsk is working on this project in close partnership with Outotec – the world-class technology provider of process solutions for the mining industry.
The group is on track to have the plant up and running by the end of 2013 and is confident in its ability to deliver against this target.
