Diamond mining: history, deposits, methods. Rating of diamond mining countries in the world according to experts

To date, diamonds have been found on all continents of the Earth, including in Antarctica, where fragments of an iron meteorite with diamonds were discovered. Natural diamonds are estimated to be over 100 million years old.

Diamond is one of the most important and valuable minerals. Diamond deposits are divided into two large groups: bedrock (primary), associated with igneous rocks, and alluvial (secondary), which arose from the destruction of bedrock deposits. Primary diamond deposits are kimberlites and lamproites; all over the world they are confined to ancient platforms - Indian, Chinese, Siberian, East European, Australian. The following geological and genetic types can be distinguished from placers, the sources of which can be objects of profitable diamond mining: deluvial, proluvial, alluvial and marine (coastal and shelf).

Initially, diamonds were found only in placers and almost always by accident. Speculation has been made about the indigenous sources of this mineral, but no one has undertaken a systematic and targeted search for it. Only after the discovery of the first diamonds in the river sediments of South Africa, prospectors unexpectedly stumbled upon their accumulations far from the rivers. They did not suspect that they were dealing with bedrock deposits of diamond-bearing rock and simply called them “dry diamond mines” in contrast to the “wet mines” located in river beds. The first dry mine was discovered in 1870 and named Jagersfontein. In the same year and the following, other mines were found, including the Colesberg mine, or New Rush, renamed Kimberley in 1873.

But the first primary diamond deposits were not found in Africa. Scientists have proven that the first primary diamond deposit was found in India long before the discovery of South African kimberlites. Thus, at present, the oldest active primary diamond deposits are Indian, but, according to some estimates, only about 15 thousand carats are mined there annually.

The approximate distribution of diamond resources between primary sources and placers is 85% and 15%, respectively, so the most important sources of industrial diamond mining are kimberlite and lamproite pipes. They are called pipes because the diamond-bearing rock is concentrated in a volume resembling a cone-shaped tube.

Kimberlite pipe - primary diamond deposit

A kimberlite pipe is a gigantic column ending in a conical bulge at the top. With depth, the conical body narrows, resembling a giant carrot in shape, and at some depth it turns into a vein. Kimberlite pipes are unique ancient volcanoes, the ground part of which is largely destroyed as a result of erosion processes. One of the largest diamond-bearing pipes is located in Tanzania - the Mwadui mine pipe. It occupies an area more than 2.5 km long and more than 1.5 km wide. Kimberlite is an ultrabasic rock of brecciated structure, which consists of olivine, phlogopite, pyrope and other minerals. It has a black color with bluish and greenish tints. Currently, over 1,500 kimberlite bodies are known, of which 8-10% are diamond-bearing rocks.

According to experts, about 90% of diamond reserves from primary sources are concentrated in kimberlite pipes, and about 10% in lamproite pipes.

Diamond-bearing lamproite was first discovered in Australia in 1976. This is a different genetic type of diamond deposits from kimberlites. Lamproites are geographically related to kimberlites; the composition of both has much in common, but there are also significant differences. Lamproite differs from kimberlite in its high concentration of titanium, potassium, phosphorus and some other elements. At the same time, there are no significant differences between diamonds of these two types of magmatites. The Argyle pipe deposit contains the largest diamond reserves in the world. Only about 5% of lamproite diamonds can be used in the jewelry industry, the rest are used for technical purposes. The Argyle pipe is the main source of rare pink diamonds. In addition to Australia, lamproites are known in Brazil, in our country - Karelia and the Kola Peninsula.

There is a peculiarity in the location of primary diamond deposits - they are confined to hard-to-reach uninhabited territories. If from these positions we consider the location of almost all currently known diamond-bearing kimberlite and lamproite pipes, we get the following picture. The first diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes in South Africa were discovered in its central part, where until the 70s of the 19th century only a few drill colonists tried to develop the African bush for agricultural land. There were no substantial settlements in these areas at that time. The cities of Kimberley and Johannesburg arose later: the first after the start of the development of diamond deposits, the second - near the largest gold mine. In Lesotho, nature has hidden kimberlites high in the mountains, which can only be reached on foot or on horseback. The diamond-bearing kimberlites of this country are called the highest in the world. The kimberlite pipes of Botswana (Orapa and Jwaneng) - the largest in the world - are located in the waterless, hot Kalahari Desert, where they are also covered with many meters of sand. The same applies to the diamond deposits of other African countries - Tanzania, Guinea, Angola, Sierra Leone, Mali, etc.

A few outcrops of diamond-bearing kimberlites in India are localized within the desert territory of the state. Madhya Pradesh and other states. Even in such an overpopulated country as China, diamond-bearing kimberlites are located in relatively uninhabited places.

Diamond-bearing kimberlites are concentrated in the northern hemisphere under particularly unfavorable climatic and geographical conditions. Yakutia is a permafrost territory, Arkhangelsk is a swampy taiga, low temperatures in winter. Canada's diamond fields are located in the north of the American continent, in an area where there were no settlements or any infrastructure. In addition, 75% of kimberlite bodies there are located under lakes.

Placer diamond deposits are formed mainly due to the erosion of bedrock kimberlite pipes. Placers are located near primary deposits within kimberlite areas and fields or arise at a distance from these areas in geological and structural conditions favorable for placer formation, creating independent diamond-bearing placer areas and fields. At the same time, the morphology of the crystals changes, they are differentiated by size, etc. Due to the fact that diamond has a special abrasive resistance, it can be transported over long distances from the root source, sometimes thousands of kilometers (for example, coastal-marine placers of South-West Africa) . If we consider the entire set of crystals and their intergrowths located in the root source of abrasive resistance, then during transportation their unstable part is destroyed. Therefore, diamonds from placers, even those located close to the primary source, are superior in quality to diamonds from kimberlites of this pipe. In the process of even short transfer, some of the joints and stones with various defects are destroyed, which leads to an increase in the share of jewelry diamonds.

Hello, our diamond readers! Diamonds have always attracted royal attention. You see them in photographs, exhibitions and in jewelry houses and stores, as they now like to say, “packaged”. Have you ever been interested in how diamond mining occurs in Russia and around the world? After reading the article, you will find the answer to this question.

How are deposits developed? What are the different mining locations? What types of mining are there? What is a kimberlite pipe? Where do the most expensive and valuable diamonds come from? Who is the leader in terms of deposits and the main countries for diamond mining? All this, and some other interesting facts and secrets, you will learn after reading.

Therefore, let's not hesitate and plunge into the world of mining some of the most expensive minerals on our planet. We are sure that reading the article will be interesting! We wish you pleasant reading!

Diamond mining: how minerals are extracted from deposits

Perhaps this issue should be considered at the very beginning. If you understand how diamond reserves are developed, then based on this you can determine those countries and states that can do this. The extraction process is not only labor-intensive, but also costly in terms of financing, since equipment for extraction and exploration does not cost 100 rubles.

So, a step-by-step description of the process of field development:

1. How and where to find diamonds? In most cases, the longest-term stage. Exploration of the future deposit. Can be produced over several years. Reserve exploration, first of all, must answer fundamental questions on which the feasibility of investing will depend:

• the amount of mineral reserves found and the method of extraction at the deposit. The cost of future investments depends on this;
• climatic conditions. Without a doubt, extracting minerals in harsh and frozen lands or in the Arctic Circle is much more expensive and energy-intensive than in places with a hot climate. You should also take into account the depth, since sometimes deposits can be located under the thickness of ocean or sea waters. If the discovered deposit does not cover these costs in the calculations, then it is, as a rule, marked on maps and left until better times (until the reserves reach a “justified” limit in terms of investments or until the cost of development becomes cheaper, or until the reserves in other mining sites);
• possibility of providing infrastructure and establishing a logistics line. It can also significantly influence a positive decision (fuel is now expensive all over the world);
• payback period. Essentially, this is a theoretical calculation of profitability. Includes the calculation of the previously described and other expenses and the calculation of the possible profit from the treasures stored in the depths.

If everything went well and the development is profitable, then after completing the necessary documentation and all sorts of bureaucratic papers and permits, you should proceed to the second stage.

1. Beginning of development and tightening of infrastructure lines. So the process begins... The global purchase of equipment, materials, the construction of premises for workers, the installation of electricity, the construction of internal roads on site, and so on and so forth... Also during this stage, the establishment of a logistics line takes place. Many field development companies, as a rule, have their own permanent logistics partners, with whom all that remains is to negotiate the price and schedules of transportation and delivery. After the “working” site of the site has been prepared, the search for the deposit’s reserves begins and, in parallel, the third stage is launched.
2. Factory production stage. In order not to mine the ore from which diamonds will be “selected” far from the place of birth, factories and production facilities are often located near the deposit. Such costs pay off quickly, since it is easier to process a mineral close to the site and then produce the finished product, than to transport unprocessed ore far away to production and only then begin searching for it in the ore and subsequent processing.
3. Development and full-time work. This is the most basic stage. Full-fledged work begins over a long period of time. From several months and years to several decades (this is determined at the exploration stage).
4. Completion of work. Essentially, after a field has produced all its reserves, it must be “frozen.” That is, remove all constructed structures, take away equipment, fence off the area and close all the “holes” through which ore was mined. For example, after an oil well has been drilled, the dug shaft is concreted. Unfortunately, things don’t always happen this way, as this also requires costs. Therefore, in most cases you can see just an abandoned mine with the remains of garbage.

Types of deposits in the world

Diamond ore, like other ores, can be mined in several ways. There is nothing complicated here, since these processes have been known for a long time. But technology does not stand still and new types of reserve development are emerging.

• The most popular way is open. You can also find another name - quarry. Everything is very simple. A significant reduction in development costs is achieved due to ease of production and high productivity. The least amount of labor and energy resources is spent.

Excavation of the quarry begins and as the deposit develops, it deepens into the depths of the Earth's interior. The open method includes the so-called kimberlite pipes, which we will talk about separately a little later, as they deserve special attention.

• An equally popular method is closed. It is also called mine. It is used when open-pit mining is not effective or profitable. There is also a deepening into the bowels of the earth's crust, but through mine paths.

It is a more dangerous method, as there is a possibility of encountering accumulations of explosive gases, which can lead to an explosion, collapse or suffocation of workers. There is also a high probability of collapses and flooding if the ceilings are poorly secured. Therefore, since ancient times, miners often carry birds with them in a cage and go down with the dogs.

Unlike people, animals have left themselves more developed instincts, which helps everyone quickly detect the awaiting danger. Animals have saved the lives of many miners more than a dozen times.

• Combined. Some deposits allow both quarrying and mine development.
• Marine type of prey. Extraction occurs from the bottom of a body of water, most often sea or ocean. A relatively recent type of mining in the world. Requires expensive equipment and sometimes special robots.

Kimberlite pipe: another interesting fact

In short, these are the places that provide us with diamonds by 90 percent, since they are the main deposits of diamonds.

The kimberlite pipe takes its name from the place where it was first discovered. This happened on the African continent in the province of Kimberley. This is where it all started. Development and production took place from 1886 to 1914. At the moment, this deposit has practically exhausted itself. For an idea of ​​size and scale: the total area is 17 hectares, the perimeter is 1.6 km, the depth of the quarry pit is 240 meters. This tube can be seen from space. Her scope is amazing.

In its shape, it resembles a glass of champagne rather than the pipe itself. Pipes form in places of ancient and stable earth platforms (some information from the theory of movement and creation of crustal plates), where volcanoes used to be. In places where there was a breakthrough of magma and its instantaneous cooling due to temperature changes and pressure differences.

Why do minerals choose such powerful platforms rather than thinner ones? This still remains a mystery. The ore that is mined from it is called kimberlite. In this form of deposit there are not only diamonds, but also other minerals, also expensive and rare.

Currently, the largest quarry for the extraction of diamonds and other minerals is located in Yakutia at the Zarnitsa deposit.

The opening and start of work was in 1954. The remaining reserves at the bottom of the pipe are now being mined using a closed method. It is estimated that mining will continue to be developed for more than thirty years.

The Mir kimberlite pipe is also famous throughout the world. Harsh climatic conditions and permafrost brought their own challenges during development. From the very beginning until 2001, so many diamonds were extracted from its reserves that their approximate total value today is $17 billion. Now it is also closed.

Kimberlite pipes are constantly being discovered in new places. They are constantly being explored and developed.

Secretly, the rarest diamonds are created when exposed to sudden and high temperatures and a sharp and instantaneous differential pressure drop. These conditions occur when a meteorite hits the earth's crust. It should be assumed that the impact of the Tunguska meteorite could also have produced rare diamonds that remained “in the depths of a mysterious history.”

Synthetic diamonds: a myth or a replacement for natural reserves

Diamond, like most natural compounds (graphite, plastic, gasoline, etc.), is carbon. The only difference is in the number of bonds between the elements and in the structure of the crystal lattice. Modern technologies and discoveries in science make it possible to replace some elements, for example diamonds, with products obtained experimentally using a synthetic method.

Synthetic diamonds can completely replicate the structure and look beautiful, but they are not yet able to replace diamonds obtained by natural methods. It is very difficult to repeat many miracles of nature. They are inferior in strength and play in the sun. The most famous are moussanite and cubic zirconia. And this is good. After all, you will probably agree that if it is possible to replace a laboratory-obtained element with an original, the latter will lose all value.

Despite this, synthetic diamonds have found diverse applications in many industries. They help improve the quality of goods and services at low cost.

Today's leading diamond mining countries

The first country where diamonds were found was India. Deposits were also found in Brazil. However, after a short period of time, they lost their positions.

The specific conditions necessary for the formation of diamonds make their deposits rare. The main and world leader is Africa, and more precisely, Congo, South Africa and Botswana (the recently declared leader).

Russia is in second place. The vast majority of deposits are located in Yakutia.

However, it is worth considering that the search for diamonds does not stop. Deposits have recently been found in Australia (where the rarest purple diamonds are currently mined), as well as in northern Canada.

The world is constantly exploring for diamonds and other precious deposits. Any topic related to diamonds is so interesting that we can talk about it endlessly. But, unfortunately, it’s time to part ways for a while. Thank you very much for your interest and attention! We are sure that you were interested and that you did not waste your time. Don’t forget to recommend this article to your friends on social networks, we will be very grateful!

Team LyubiKamni

Everyone decided that this find had no industrial significance. They returned to exploration much later, in the mid-20th century. Given this fact, it is difficult to imagine that all three of the largest diamond deposits in the world are currently located in Russia. Who else is lucky? Let's look further at our TOP of the largest diamond deposits in the world.

1

The Jubilee quarry in Yakutia leads in the total reserve of precious stones - 153 million carats. Operation here began in 1986, and to date the depth of development has reached 320 meters. Forecasts call for further deepening to 720 meters.

2

The Udachny diamond quarry is also located in Yakutia. It is only inferior to the Yubileiny one - 152 million carats. The deposit was discovered in 1955, so surface work was completed in 2015, however, underground development is expected to continue for several decades. At the time of closure, the depth of the quarry was 640 meters - a world record!

3

At the moment, Mir is already closed: open-pit work was completed in 2001, and since 2009, diamonds have been mined here using the underground method. The mine still brings surprises - in 2012, the “President” diamond weighing 79.9 carats was found here, which, however, is 4.3 times smaller than the “XXVI Congress of the CPSU” diamond found in 1980. The total reserves of the World are estimated at 141 million carats.

4

Argyle is both one of the rarest and poorest diamond deposits in the world. How can it be? Yes, simple. Most of the diamonds mined here are of technical quality. But sometimes... Oh, sometimes the rarest pink diamonds are found in Argyll. Each of these finds is a reason for a separate auction, because 9 out of 10 pink diamonds in the world come from Argyle. The total reserves of the deposit are estimated at 140 million carats.

5

Up to 130 million carats is the total value of Catoca in Angola. And since the field is quite young (work here began in 1993), most of these reserves are promising, that is, they still have to be raised. It is believed that over the next 30 years the mine will deepen to 600 meters (currently 200) and then development will stop.

6

About 102 million carats come from Venice, one of De Beers' largest mines. It alone brings the company 10% of annual diamond production. The reserves are located in 12 kimberlite pipes, which will be developed for another 20 years.

7

The development of this deposit is being carried out by a subsidiary of NK Lukoil, Arkhangelskgeoldobycha, but in the near future the quarry will change its owner. It will be Otkritie Holding, which will pay $1.45 billion for 100% of the company’s shares. Note that the deposit itself is estimated at 98 million carats, and annual diamond production in the near future is 1 million carats.

8

About 88.3 million carats come from Jwaneng, but this mine is considered the “richest” in the world in terms of the amount of diamonds that are mined here. For example, in 2011, 10.641 million carats were mined here, but development is already underway at a depth of 350 meters!

9

Orapa is one of the oldest diamond quarries in the world; mining began here in 1971. Its reserves are estimated at 85.7 million carats. Even now, this quarry remains one of the most productive in the world, but record production volumes of precious stones are already behind us: in 2006, 17.3 million carats were produced here, then production began to fall.

10

The Botoubinskaya diamond pipe is located in Yakutia. Industrial development began in 2012, and is now only gaining momentum. Botouba diamonds first entered the market in 2015. The total reserves of the pipe are expected to be 70.9 million carats; the mine life is estimated at 40 years from the start of development.

Gold and diamonds are natural resources that do not lose their value over many centuries. Russia is one of the leading countries in the extraction of these minerals. In 2016, according to the World Gold Council, 274.4 tons of gold were mined in our country. With such indicators, Russia is second only to China (463.7 tons) and Australia (287.3 tons). The Union of Gold Miners of Russia estimates the volume of mining and production even higher - 297.4 tons.

The gold market in Russia is determined by global trends. Despite production growth, which was recorded at 1.2 percent, gold exports fell markedly. According to the Federal Customs Service, in value it fell by 40 percent and amounted to $908 million at the end of 2016. The final figures were also affected by the fall in world and Russian export prices in the second half of 2016. Experts attribute this drop to a reduction in consumer demand from India (minus 22 percent in 2016) and China (minus 7 percent). However, since January 2017, when the greatest price decline was recorded, world prices began to rise again.

Despite the fact that Russia is the largest producer of gold, domestic demand for it is limited. The Bank of Russia is actively increasing the volume of gold and foreign exchange reserves. Over 10 years - from 2007 to 2017 - they almost quadrupled - from 0.45 to 1.7 thousand tons, and today Russia stores 17 percent of its reserves in gold. But consumer demand (jewelry industry, coins, bars) in Russia is small - 37.2 tons in 2016 (minus 12 percent compared to 2015). Approximately the same level of demand is recorded, for example, in Iran (36.6 tons, minus 46 percent) or Pakistan (42.2 tons, plus 12 percent).

Russia produces only 1.6 percent of diamonds and 1 percent of diamond jewelry of the total world market

Russia, along with African countries (Republic of Congo, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Angola) remains the world's largest producer of rough diamonds. In 2016, natural diamond production reached 30 percent in volume and 29 percent in global value.

But our country is not one of the world's largest cutting centers. The leaders here are the USA, Belgium, India and Israel. They form the bulk of supply on the diamond market, with the United States producing the most expensive jewelry diamonds, and India specializing in cutting the lowest quality raw materials. Russia, on the other hand, occupies a modest position, producing only 1.6 percent of polished diamonds and 1 percent of diamond jewelry of the total volume of the world diamond market.

That is, against the backdrop of the world's largest diamond mining sector, cutting, jewelry and tool production in Russia is practically absent. As for consumption, the most diamond jewelry is purchased in the USA, Japan and China.

Almost 99 percent of all diamonds in Russia are mined in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); there are also small deposits in the Perm Territory and the Arkhangelsk Region. Moreover, while a large number of private companies operate in the gold market in Russia, in the diamond market more than 95 percent of Russian production comes from the ALROSA company.

In the current economic situation, when household incomes have been declining in recent years and economic growth has slowed, the growth prospects for the Russian gold and diamond market are not obvious. There are virtually no incentives for growth in the domestic market. Export markets may become the main drivers of growth in the Russian diamond cutting, gold mining and processing industry.

The most advantageous position for the country is to form the production of goods with high added value on Russian territory and sell them abroad. That is, we are talking primarily about the production of jewelry and products for high-tech industries using precious metals and stones.

The government's priority actions in this regard should be measures aimed at reducing existing administrative requirements and barriers to the export of products. In particular, it would be advisable to review the mandatory requirement for testing and hallmarking of jewelry exported in accordance with the requirements of the domestic market. It is necessary to create opportunities for retail sales, for cash and without a contract for the supply of jewelry exhibited at foreign exhibitions. It is necessary to equalize the rates of import customs duties on precious and semi-precious stones used in jewelry production as inserts within the EAEU.

A bill to abolish the mandatory requirement for testing and hallmarking jewelry was previously submitted to the State Duma, but was rejected. The second issue is being addressed by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development within the framework of the project passport “Systemic measures for the development of international cooperation and exports.” Some bans and restrictions on the remote export of certain types of goods (including jewelry) should be lifted. The deadline for the adoption of relevant regulatory legal acts is December 31, 2018.

In addition, it is necessary to develop a system for promoting products of the Russian diamond cutting industry abroad, mainly through the creation and promotion of the “Russian Cutting” brand. However, work in this direction is currently not being carried out. It is possible to receive such support only on a general basis within the framework of promoting the “Made in Russia” brand.

Infographics "RG" / Leonid Kuleshov / Tatyana Bateneva

The mining and metals sector of Kazakhstan insists on changing the draft of the new environmental code, which tightens the requirements for both investors and domestic companies.

This is not the first time that businesses have expressed complaints about the draft new environmental code (it is being developed by the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan). In February 2019, the code was supposed to go to parliament for consideration, and in December last year, the Vice Minister of Energy Sabit Nurlybay stated: the main principle of the new legislation will be the “polluter pays” principle. This principle concentrated constant environmental control to a narrow circle of natural resource users - about 200 companies that produce the lion's share of pollution, 70–80% of all emissions into the environment.

A narrow circle of culprits

Almost all representatives of the mining and metallurgical sector automatically fell into the narrow circle of “polluters.” It is not surprising that it was the Republican Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises (AGMPK) that was the first to sound the alarm. The main novelty of the new eco-code concerns the mandatory requirement to introduce the best available technologies at polluting enterprises that reduce harmful emissions and energy intensity of production. The developers of the code allocated a period of five to seven years for all this. Ignoring the requirement should have led to the shutdown of the enterprise.

Limiting the range of controlled pollutants to only those enterprises that produce the largest total “exhaust” in the republic is unlikely to help achieve the desired goals for environmental protection - this was the opinion expressed by the director of the department of ecology and industrial safety of AGMPC at the time Talgat Temirkhanov. He explained his position with examples: in Nur-Sultan (Astana at that time) and Almaty, metallurgical giants do not smoke, but smog in these Kazakh megacities is a serious problem for local authorities.

Therefore, representatives of the MMC made a proposal: as part of the work on the code, to model all possible options for the development of the situation related to the expansion or contraction of production capacity and the growth of vehicles and the country’s residential sector.

Confusion also arose regarding the costs of implementing best available technologies to improve environmental performance. Business became interested: why, in this case, should it simultaneously continue to pay environmental payments to local budgets?

Only the deadline has changed

As a result, the draft environmental code required more significant revisions than expected and was not submitted to parliament for consideration in February. The code will be submitted to the government, whose conclusion precedes the parliamentary assessment, only in September. However, as the executive director of AGMK stated at the Minex-2019 metallurgical forum Nikolay Radostovets, the process of improving the eco-code would be worth suspending completely for now. “The environmental code is currently being developed, it is being developed in a hurry,” Radostovets said. – It’s generally unclear how we should move forward, and the code may come into force at the end of the year, since this is written down in certain design decisions. Maybe we should slow down the process of improvement altogether? See how the Subsoil Code will work, see world practice. The version of the environmental code that we now see raises more questions than answers,” he added.

The main points on which subsoil users had questions for the project developers have not changed. The new Eco-Code stipulates the obligation of polluters to develop programs for the introduction of the best available technologies and within 10 years (in the original version, we recall, a period of five to seven years was considered) to implement these programs in practice. Moreover, as Talgat Temirkhanov explained at the Minex-2019 forum, without meeting this requirement, enterprises will not be able to obtain comprehensive environmental permits, that is, they will not be able to carry out their activities. It turns out that in the most contested norm of the metallurgical business in the future code, only the deadline for the possible closure of the enterprise has changed.

“The introduction of such a norm is a significant risk for the mining and metals industry, in our opinion. We would like to propose to provide for a voluntary procedure for the transition to a comprehensive environmental permit,” Temirkhanov said. He also suggested taking into account the fact that some of the mining and metals industry enterprises were commissioned in the middle of the last century, so they require a special approach. “If the vector for introducing the best available technologies is chosen by an enterprise, but ten years are not enough for its implementation, then there must be a mechanism that will allow such enterprises, by agreement with the authorized body, to extend the program for increasing environmental efficiency for a period of no more than 20 years,” Temirkhanov clarified.

Business versus government “visits”

Another norm that the metallurgical business is protesting against is the initiative to introduce a mechanism for “visits” by environmental inspectors to the largest polluting enterprises. This form of control is laid down in the Entrepreneurial Code - according to the observations of entrepreneurs, it is not always accompanied by the presence of compelling reasons and is often appointed on the basis of instructions from a particular government body or official. The developers justify the application of the norm by the need to obtain prompt information about the fulfillment by natural resource users of their obligations. Nature users fear that this regulation will turn them into cash cows.

“We believe that this carries with it great corruption risks and the constant distraction of enterprise specialists from the main operational activities,” say representatives of AGMPC.

And finally, the draft of the future code does not yet resolve the issue of double or even triple environmental financial burden on industry enterprises. Currently, representatives of the mining and metals industry pay twice: in addition to environmental payments for emissions, they bear the burden of implementing environmental protection measures. And with the introduction of comprehensive environmental permitting, they will have to shell out money to implement the best available technologies. Moreover, according to European standards, which will lead to an increase in the cost of the process. We would like to legislatively agree on the position that these environmental payments are used by enterprises themselves when introducing BAT,” Temirkhanov said. – The legislator stipulates that standards will be developed in Kazakhstan based on European BREFs (industry reference books of the best available technologies. – Kursiv). But they are quite strict, and their regulatory limits are very tight. And at first glance, it becomes obvious that the mining and metals industry enterprises of Kazakhstan are not yet ready to immediately switch to European standards, since this will require enormous investments of financial resources, and most of the enterprises will not be able to meet these requirements.” According to Temirkhanov, Kazakhstan should follow in the footsteps of Russia, where they have developed their own national BAT standards with one suspensive condition: from the moment these national standards are adopted, they are revised every 10 years in the direction of tightening and bringing them closer to their European counterparts.

MIIR should become an arbitrator

It is obvious that in the four months since the first public clash of points of view between the developers of the new eco-code and the MMC, the parties have not reached mutual understanding on issues of fundamental importance to them. In this situation, they need a mediator who can take into account the interests of both the state and business. This could well be the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development, which, on the one hand, is obliged to protect state interests, and on the other hand, the development of the mining and metals industry is included in the orbit of powers and responsibilities of this department. And during the Minex forum, the vice minister of this structure Timur Toktabaev made an indirect application for this mediating role: “The development of an environmental code is currently ongoing in Kazakhstan; it should help ensure the country’s transition to international standards. At the same time, we understand that there is now a struggle for investment in the world, so we need to find a middle ground that will suit the state and the investor,” Toktabaev said.