Interview with Mikhail Gusev of Mangazeya Mining "Mangazeya" - development with double acceleration
Mikhail Gusev,
General Director of Mangazeya Zoloto LLC
By the end of the year, the Mangazeya Group of Companies plans to start processing ore at the new gold mining plant of the Nasedkino deposit, with the Kochkovskoye deposit on its way. At the end of last year, the increase in gold production amounted to over 60%, in the first quarter - already 50%. In 2021, the company intends to rank among the 15 largest gold miners in Russia. To strengthen the team in achieving the set goals, Mikhail Gusev, who previously held managerial positions in the companies of the industry, was appointed to the position of General Director of OOO Mangazeya Zoloto.
He spoke about the prospects of the gold mining division in an interview with the correspondent of the Bulletin of the Gold Producer Ekaterina Vorobyova
Question: Mikhail Mikhailovich, what prospects does Nasedkino open for you?
- GC "Mangazeya" this year has implemented a very important project - the construction of a new gold ore plant Nasedkino. This is a large, modern plant that meets all safety and technical requirements, an important stage for the further development of the company. The team now has the necessary experience and a portfolio of projects, which in the future will allow us to implement new, equally complex projects.
For the market, the successful launch of Nasedkino is a signal of the arrival of a new ambitious player.
Question: When will Nasedkino give the first gold?
- In the spring, start-up and commissioning work began, equipment cold starts. At the moment, the factory is operating in the commissioning mode, checking the operability of all systems, debugging the technological process.
This year we plan to get 500-600 kg of gold at Nasedkino, and in 2021, when the factory is operating at full capacity, we will increase the production of metal to more than two tons.
Question: There were plans to launch Nasedkino in 2019, what hindered?
- A certain hitch happened at the design stage - development of working documentation. The company sought to optimize some of the technical solutions, which led to delays in the issuance of documentation, and in this regard, some of the equipment for the project, for example, complex ventilation systems that take a long time to be manufactured, were purchased later. At the same time, a significant part of the equipment was purchased in advance, but some items had to wait, so the timing had to be adjusted.
I believe that the time was not wasted. This made it possible to thoroughly prepare for the construction. I believe that this approach allowed us to create an enterprise with the highest level of technology.
Question: Tell us about the technology and equipment of the factory.
- The factory is built on the basis of the best modern technologies in the gold mining industry, equipment from CITIC, FLSmidth, Sepro is installed on it.
The ore beneficiation cycle includes crushing, grinding, gravity and direct cyanidation. The whole process is automated as much as possible with the use of Siemens controller and measuring equipment and a specially created proprietary software package, which allows you to consistently maintain high equipment performance.
Question: How much ore has already been accumulated? What areas are mining?
- Every year at the new deposit we will process 1 million tons of ore and extract up to 3 tons of gold.
We started working in the quarry this spring. Now work is underway at the Zhelannoye and Gora Fifth sections; in the future, the development of Pridolinnoye and Pravoberezhnoye will begin.
Question: What are the total investments in the construction of the mine? How much has already been mastered? What are the sources of funding?
- The project for the development of the Nasedkino deposit is designed for 10 years. In total, 13.6 billion rubles will be invested in it, now about 85% of this amount has been spent.
This was partly the own funds of the gold mining division, because the company has been successfully developing other Trans-Baikal deposits for many years - Savkino and Kochkovskoye. Bank financing was also attracted. In March 2020, our loan portfolio was refinanced by Otkritie Bank.
Question: Are there government subsidies for infrastructure?
- Yes, Daltsvetmet LLC, the owner of the license for Nasedkino, received a subsidy to compensate for the costs of laying a 54-kilometer 110 kV power transmission line along the Davenda-Nasedkino route, construction of a 110/6 kV substation, as well as reconstruction of the existing Verkhnyaya Davenda substation ". The costs were reimbursed upon completion of the work and commissioning of the transmission line.
It is very pleasant that this is the first project of targeted subsidies in the Trans-Baikal Territory after its inclusion in the Far Eastern Federal District.
Question: Does the company feel advantages as a resident of the Zabaikalye ASEZ?
- "Mangazeya Zoloto" became a resident of the priority development area just a few months ago, in September 2019. Under the terms of the agreement, the company undertook to develop the Nasedkino field and launch the mine in 2020. At the moment, the bulk of our obligations have already been fulfilled. As a resident of the TOP, the company will receive benefits after the factory reaches its design capacity.
For the region, the interaction of government and business in the TOP format is a great contribution to the stability of the regional economy and the creation of new jobs, the development of infrastructure.
Question: How did the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic affect the work?
- The gold mining division of Mangazeya Group of Companies operates in the Trans-Baikal Territory, which has the longest border with China, so the company began to closely monitor the situation with the coronavirus long before the self-isolation regime was introduced throughout the country. Compared to other regions, the situation in Transbaikalia is not critical.
Yes, we, like everyone else, had to rebuild. In the management company, all services have been working remotely since March, our IT infrastructure allowed us to do this. The departure of specialists from other regions was limited, including specialists from equipment manufacturers, who were needed for commissioning at the factory. Nevertheless, the company continues commissioning, production and refining as scheduled.
At our fields, modern shift camps have been built for workers, with all the amenities. We work very carefully with all newly arriving workers to prevent infection at the enterprises, we comply with all sanitary regulations. Fortunately, so far there is not a single case of COVID-19 in our shift camps.
The authorities' recommendations for the extractive industry boil down to a mandatory medical examination before shifts, in some ways our measures are superior to these recommendations.
Q: What is the company's capital budget for 2020? What projects?
- Total capital investments this year will amount to about 4 billion rubles. Of course, the key project is the GOK under construction at Nasedkino.
Another significant and promising project for the group in 2020 is the second phase of the development of the Kochkovskoye deposit, where we are working on developing a technology for extracting gold from refractory ore. Right now, in particular, in one of the large international laboratories, tests are underway to extract gold from ore concentrates of the deposit.
We are primarily testing autoclave extraction, but of course we will also consider other available technologies. After the completion of these works, we will be able to proceed to the pre-design stage.
Question: This year you are finishing the stage of pilot operation at Kochkovsky, can we already talk about the results?
- It is important to note that the work has not been completed - the company is now in the process of confirming the design extraction, we are currently working on it. Pilot production at Kochkovskoye will help us to find out the potential of the field, to carry out all the necessary surveys.
Today at Kochkovskoye ore processing is carried out using heap leaching technology, so there is no GOK as such at the deposit. But it will undoubtedly appear within the framework of the second phase of deposit development - refractory ore processing.
Question: In which areas is the company conducting exploration, what are the expected results?
- In 2019, we carried out geological exploration work at Nasedkino; we have yet to evaluate and qualify their results.
Kochkovsky is the key object in terms of reserves growth. In addition to it, there are a number of promising ore occurrences, for which an insignificant amount of exploration is planned. First of all, we need to dot all the i's with Kochkovsky and then add the reserves of neighboring areas.
Question: Is Mangazeya considering the acquisition of new sites, where, with what characteristics?
- Now we have practically coped with the tasks of Nasedkino and are actively studying the market, looking at attractive assets in the region.
Most importantly, I think that during the construction of Nasedkino, the company managed to create a professional team and gain invaluable experience in implementing large projects. Businesses of this size don't start up every day today. This is a good application for us.
REFERENCE:
Mikhail Gusev is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Management of the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas with a degree in Economics and Management. Has over 15 years of industry experience. From 2006 to 2014, he held senior positions in the structures of the Renova Group of Companies, managing mining assets concentrated in Kamchatka, the Urals, Karelia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Africa.
Appointed General Director of Mangazeya Zoloto LLC on June 22, 2020.
Mangazeya Mining mines gold in the Trans-Baikal Territory, where it also develops the Savkinskoye and Kochkovskoye deposits.
In 2019, the company increased its gold production by 62% to 1,395.7 kg. For the first quarter of 2020 - an increase of 50% - up to 105.4 kg. By the end of the year, production of about two tons of gold is expected.
At present, Mangazeya Zoloto continues the construction of a mining and processing plant at the Nasedkino deposit, the facility is scheduled to be launched in 2020, and once it reaches its design capacity, the holding's annual gold production will grow to 4 tons.
GC "Mangazeya" is a diversified group of companies, the main activities of which are gold mining, construction, development and agriculture. Mangazeya Mining shares are listed on the NEX Board (of TSX Venture Exchange, Toronto).
Ekaterina Vorobyova
Bulletin of the Gold Producer
https://gold.1prime.ru/interview/20200723/370749.html