Pioneer - Overview

Producing 359,100oz in 2011, Pioneer is one of the largest gold deposits in Russia in terms of ore processed and gold output.

The mine is located in the Amur region, approximately 40km north from the Trans-Siberian railway station, Tygda. The nearest airport, at Zeya, is approximately 60km away. The mine also has excellent road connections with the Pokrovskiy mine; its close proximity (approximately 35km away) allows it to share some of that mine's infrastructure.

The Group acquired a licence to explore, develop and mine the Pioneer deposit in 2001. The mine was commissioned in April 2008 with the installation of a 0.7Mtpa resin-in-pulp (“RIP”) milling line. Since then, the plant has undergone further expansion to reach the current capacity: a 5.0Mtpa RIP plant and a 0.7Mtpa heap-leach facility.

On 1 October 2008 the Group was proud to receive the MINEX Annual Industry Award for "Developer of the Year" in recognition of its successful exploration, development and launch of the Pioneer mine. More on the award can be found at here.

The RIP plant at the Pioneer gold mine, Amur region