Leading countries in terms of diamond supply. The largest diamond deposits on earth. High Quality Angola Crystals

To date, diamonds have been found on all continents of the Earth, including Antarctica, where fragments of an iron meteorite with diamonds have been found. The age of natural diamonds is estimated to be over 100 million years.

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

Initially, diamonds were found only in placers and almost always by accident. Guesses were made about the primary sources of this mineral, but no one was engaged in its systematic and targeted searches. It was only after the discovery of the first diamonds in the river sediments of South Africa that 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 called them simply "dry diamond mines" in contrast to the "wet mines" located in riverbeds. The first "dry mine" was discovered in 1870 and named Jagersfontein. In the same year and the next, other mines were found, including 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 in India, 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 kimberlite and lamproite pipes are the most important sources of industrial diamond mining. 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 pillar ending in a conical bulge at the top. With depth, the conical body narrows, resembling a giant carrot in shape, and at some depth passes into a vein. Kimberlite pipes are original 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 pipe of the Mwadui mine. It occupies an area over 2.5 km long and over 1.5 km wide. Kimberlite is an ultrabasic rock of brecciated structure, which consists of olivine, phlogopite, pyrope and other minerals. It is black in color with a bluish and greenish tint. Currently, over 1500 kimberlite bodies are known, of which 8-10% are diamond-bearing rocks.

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

Diamond-bearing lamproite was first discovered in Australia in 1976. This is a genetic type of diamond deposits different from kimberlites. Lamproites are geographically associated with kimberlites, the composition of both has much in common, but there are also significant differences. Lamproite differs from kimberlite in a high concentration of titanium, potassium, phosphorus and some other elements. Along with this, there are no significant differences between the diamonds of these two types of magmatites. The Argyle pipe deposit has 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. At the same time, the Argyle pipe is the main source of rare pink diamonds. In addition to Australia, lamproites are known in Brazil, in our country - in Karelia and the Kola Peninsula.

There is a peculiarity in the location of primary diamond deposits - their confinement to hard-to-reach uninhabited territories. If we consider the location of almost all currently known diamond-bearing kimberlite and lamproite pipes from these positions, 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 individual Boers-colonists tried to develop the African bush for agricultural land. There were no solid 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. Diamond-bearing kimberlites of this country are called the highest in the world. Botswana's kimberlite pipes (Orapa and Jwaneng) - the largest in the world - are located in the arid, 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 diamondiferous kimberlites of India are localized within the desert territory of the piece. 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 especially unfavorable climatic and geographical conditions. Yakutia is a territory of permafrost, Arkhangelsk is a swampy taiga, low temperatures in winter. Canada's diamond deposits are located in the north of the American continent, in an area where there were no settlements and any infrastructure. In addition, there 75% of kimberlite bodies are located under the lakes.

Alluvial 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 appear at a distance from these areas in geological and structural conditions favorable for placer formation, creating independent diamond-bearing placer areas and fields. In this case, 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 primary 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 in terms 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 a short transfer, some of the intergrowths, stones with various defects are destroyed, which leads to an increase in the share of gem diamonds.

Everyone knows that a diamond is the most precious stone on earth. It is unique in that it is the most solid, radiant and sparkling among minerals, its external data is not subject to time, mechanical damage and even fire. Like thousands of years ago, so now diamonds attract humanity, beckoning with their cold beauty. Cut diamonds are not only used to create magnificent diamonds that adorn luxury jewelry, they are also (due to their properties) used in many industries. The deposits where diamonds can be found in Russia are enough to say that our country is a diamond power. In this article, we will tell you more about the extraction of such a useful and beautiful mineral. So, further about where diamonds are mined in Russia: cities, location of deposits.

Diamonds in nature

In the upper mantle of the Earth, at a depth of more than 100-150 km, under the influence of the highest temperature and enormous pressure, pure carbon atoms from the state of graphite are modified into crystals, which we call diamonds. This process of crystallization takes more than one hundred years. Diamonds, having stayed in its bowels for several million years, are brought to the surface of the earth by kimberlite magma during volcanic explosions. With such an explosion, so-called pipes are formed - kimberlite diamond deposits. The name "kimberlite" comes from the African town of Kimberley, in the area of \u200b\u200bwhich a diamond-bearing rock was discovered. Nowadays, there are two types of diamond deposits: primary (lamproite and kimberlite) and secondary (placers).

Diamonds were known to mankind three thousand years before the advent of our era, the first mention of them was found in India. People immediately endowed the diamond with supernatural properties, thanks to its indestructible hardness, brilliance and transparent purity. It was available only to selected persons who had power and might.

Countries that mine diamonds

Since each diamond is unique in its own way, it is customary to separate their accounting among world countries in terms of production volumes and value terms. The bulk of diamond production is distributed among only nine countries. These are Russia, the Republic of the Congo, Botswana, Australia, Canada, Angola, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

In value terms, the leaders among these countries are Russia, African Botswana and Canada. Their total diamond production is more than 60% of the value of the world's mined diamonds.

For incomplete 2017 (according to the latest data), Russia occupies the first place in terms of production volumes and cost. Its share in value terms accounts for about 40% of the total volume of world production. This leadership belongs to Russia for several years.

The first diamond in Russia

Now in more detail about production in our country. When and where did diamond mining in Russia start for the first time? It happened in the 19th century, in the summer of 1829, the serf teenager Pavel Popov, washing gold at the Krestovozdvizhensky gold mine in the Perm province, found an incomprehensible pebble. The boy gave it to the caretaker, and after evaluating the precious find, he was given his freedom, and all other workers were told to pay attention to all the transparent pebbles. So two more diamonds were found. About the place where diamonds are mined in Russia, they told the former nearby German geologist Humboldt. Then the development of the diamond mine began.

In the next thirty years, about 130 diamonds were discovered, the total weight of which was 60 carats. In total, until 1917 in Russia, where diamonds were mined in the Urals, no more than 250 gems were found. But, despite the insignificant number, they were all of excellent beauty. These were stones worthy of decorating jewelry.

Already in 1937, large-scale expeditions to explore the Ural diamonds were equipped in Soviet Russia, but they were not crowned with great success. The found placers were poor in the content of the precious stone, primary diamond deposits in the Urals have not been found.

Siberian diamonds

Since the 18th century, the best minds of our country have been wondering where the diamond deposits are in Russia. The great Russian scientist of the 18th century Mikhail Lomonosov stated in his writings that Siberia can be a diamondiferous region. He stated his assumption in the manuscript "In the northern lands, diamonds could occur." However, the first Siberian diamond was found at the end of the 19th century on the Melnichnaya River, near the city of Yeniseisk. Due to the fact that it weighed only two-thirds of a carat, and also due to lack of funding, exploration of other diamonds in the area did not continue.

And only in 1949 in Yakutia on the Sokolina Spit, near the village of Krestyakh in the Suntar Ulus, was the first Siberian diamond found. But this deposit was alluvial. The search for bedrock kimberlite pipes was crowned with success five years later - the first pipe not located in Africa was found near the Daldyn River by the geologist Popugaeva. It was a significant discovery in the life of our country. The name of the first diamond-bearing pipe was given in the Soviet style of that time - "Zarnitsa". The Mir pipe, the Udachnaya pipe, where diamonds are still mined in Russia, were discovered next. By the end of 1955, 15 new diamond deposits-pipes appeared in Yakutia.

Yakutia, or, as the locals call this region, the Republic of Sakha, is a place where gold and diamonds are mined in Russia. Despite the severity of the climate, it is a fertile and generous land that gives our country natural wealth.

Below is a map that clearly shows where these gems are mined in Russia. The darkest territories are the places where the largest number of deposits, and the diamonds themselves are the most expensive in value. As can be seen, most pipes are concentrated in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). There are also diamonds in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Irkutsk Region, the Republic of Karelia, the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk Regions, the Perm Territory, the Komi Republic, and so on.

Mirny is the city with the most diamonds in Russia

In the summer of 1955, geologists in search of kimberlite pipes in Yakutia saw larch with exposed roots. This fox dug a hole here. The color of the scattered earth was bluish, which was a characteristic feature of kimberlite. Geologists were not mistaken in their guesses, and after some time they sent a coded message to the top Soviet leadership: “We lit the peace pipe, the tobacco is excellent!” A year later, in the west of Yakutia, a large-scale development of the Mir kimberlite pipe begins, similar to quarry excavations.

Around a huge quarry in the form of a funnel, a village is formed, named in his honor - Mirny. Two years later, the village turns into the city of Mirny, today it is a city with a population of more than three tens of thousands of inhabitants, 80% of whom are employed in a diamond mining enterprise. By right, it can be called the diamond capital of Russia, because millions of dollars worth of diamonds are mined here every year.

Now it is the largest quarry not only in Russia, where diamonds are mined, but throughout the world. The depth of the huge quarry is 525 meters, its diameter is about 1200 meters, the quarry could easily accommodate the Ostankino television tower. And when descending to the center of the quarry, the length of the serpentine road is more than 8 kilometers.

Below in the photo is just this diamond quarry (Mirny city, Yakutia).

"Yakutalmaz"

Trust "Yakutalmaz" was established in 1957 in the tent at that time the village of Mirny with the aim of developing mining operations for the extraction of diamonds. The exploration of the following deposits was carried out in difficult conditions of the deep taiga, with severe 60-degree frosts and the absence of any infrastructure. So, in 1961, almost at the very Arctic Circle, the development of the Aikhal pipe began, and in 1969 another pipe, the International, was discovered - the most diamond-bearing pipe to date.

In the 1970s and 1980s, several more diamond mines were opened by underground nuclear explosions. In this way, the International, Yubileinaya and other pipes were opened. In the same years, Yakutalmaz opened the only kimberlite museum in the world in the city of Mirny. At first, the exhibits represented private collections of geologists, but over time, their number increased. Here you can see various rocks of kimberlite - a harbinger of diamonds, from different kimberlite pipes of the world.

ALROSA

Since 1992, the joint-stock company ALROSA (Diamonds of Russia-Sakha), with a state controlling stake, has become the legal successor of the Soviet Yakutalmaz. Since its inception, ALROSA has received a state monopoly on exploration, mining and processing of diamonds on the territory of the Russian Federation. This group of diamond mining and processing companies produces about 98% of all diamonds in Russia.

Today, ALROSA has six mining and processing complexes (GOK), four of which are part of the group. These are Aikhalsky, Udachninsky, Mirninsky and Nyurbinsky GOKs. Two more plants, Almazy Anabara and Arkhangelsk Severalmaz, are subsidiaries of ALROSA. Each GOK consists of one or more diamond deposits and a complex of special equipment and processing facilities.

From all mills in Russia, wherever they are mined, they are delivered to the Diamond Sorting Center. Here they are evaluated, weighed and initially processed. Then the rough diamonds are sent to the Moscow and Yakut cutting factories.

The largest deposits in Russia

Among the largest deposits in Yakutia, the Yubileiny quarry can be noted. Diamond mining on an industrial scale here begins in 1986, and by now the depth of mining has reached 320 meters. Further development of Yubileiny up to 720 meters is predicted. Diamond reserves here are estimated at 153 million carats.

The Udachny diamond quarry is slightly inferior to Yubileiny, which has reserves of 152 million carats of precious stones. In addition, the Udachnaya pipe was discovered among the very first diamond-bearing pipes in Yakutia in 1955. And although open-pit diamond mining here closed in 2015, underground mining may still continue for several decades. The depth of the Udachny field at the time of closure had a record value in the world - 640 meters.

The Mir deposit has also been closed since 2001, and diamonds are mined here underground. The oldest quarry still brings surprisingly large diamonds - in 2012, a specimen of 79.9 carats was found. The name of this diamond was given "President". True, it is 4 times smaller than the diamond mined also in the Mir pipe in 1980 with the name "XXVI Congress of the CPSU" and weighing 342.5 carats. The total reserves of the Mir quarry are estimated at 141 million carats.

Both Yubileiny, Udachny and Mir are the largest diamond deposits not only in Russia but also in the world.

The Botoubinskaya kimberlite pipe is one of the young, recently developed deposits, also located in Yakutia. Mining on an industrial scale here began in 2012, and Botouba diamonds entered the world market in 2015. Experts predict the extraction of diamonds from this deposit for 71 million carats, and its life will be at least forty years.

Where diamonds are mined in Russia (except Yakutia)

The opinion that the ALROSA group of companies operates only in cold Yakutia will be erroneous. Moreover, ALROSA is developing deposits not only in Russia, where diamonds are mined, but also in ten other countries.

Indeed, the basic production of the group is concentrated in the Republic of Sakha - in the city of Yakutsk, Mirny and other cities of Western Yakutia. But there are also representative offices of the joint-stock company ALROSA in other regions of Russia. For example, a subsidiary diamond mining enterprise in the Arkhangelsk region, where the development of diamond deposits began quite recently, about 20 years ago, the Lomonosov Mining and Processing Plant was opened.

There are also alluvial diamond deposits in the Perm Territory. Here they concentrated in the city of Aleksandrovsk and Krasnovishersky district. Although the Permian deposits are not primary, the high quality diamonds mined here are recognized as one of the best for jewelry for their transparency and purity.

ALROSA also has its representative office in other cities of Russia, where diamonds are not mined, but processed and turned into polished diamonds. These are Yakutsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Orel and a number of other cities.

ALROSA outside Russia

AK ALROSA conducts major activities in the South African Republic of Angola. Here she owns about 33% of the shares of the local mining company - Africa's largest diamond producer. Cooperation began in 2002, after several meetings at the level of top management in the capital of the republic, the city of Luanda, a branch of ALROSA was opened.

Being engaged in the marketing of its specific products, ALROSA has opened several marketing branches around the world - in London (Great Britain), Antwerp (Belgium), Hong Kong (China), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), as well as in the USA and Israel. These countries are the main centers of trade in rough and polished diamonds, where they are sold at special auctions and tenders.

Today, diamond mining in the world is well developed, but the demand for polished diamonds far exceeds the supply. Experts say the situation will get worse. This is beneficial for countries involved in diamond mining and processing. However, not every state can boast of precious deposits. Today, there are large mines and quarries only in Africa, Russia, Australia and Canada. There is a "big five" of the leading diamond mining countries. We will tell about it and not only.

The first world diamonds

Even 7 thousand years ago, people learned about the existence of these stones. Placers were then discovered in India. The largest crystals were also found there. For thousands of years, people have mined precious stones here. The most famous: "Shah", "Kokhinur", "Orlov". In the 19th century, the deposits were empty. Diamonds in India began to run out. Today, diamond mining in India continues, but mainly they are engaged in cutting stones and selling diamonds.

By the time India lost ground, there were gems in South America. The first deposit in this country was discovered in the 18th century. The stones that were mined here are small, but they are of excellent quality. It is worth mentioning three of these: "Star of Egypt", "Star of Minas", "Star of the South". They have amazing clarity and shape. For a century, Brazil led the way in gemstone mining, but then new discoveries began and it was time for other giants of the diamond industry.

Unique finds came across in streams and rivers. So, the birthplace of the famous Eureka diamond weighing 11 carats is Africa, it was found in the riverbed. After that, South African deposits became popular.

Giant diamond and the search for gems in Russia

When the mines of Africa became famous, other placers and kimberlite pipes began to be searched in the region. A significant part of the income went to Great Britain, since diamonds were mined in its colonies. Here, in the 20th century, they found the largest crystal on Earth - "Cullinan" - weighing 3160 carats.

Of course, Russia did not want to lag behind. Large-scale research was carried out in the country, expeditions were sent to look for deposits. The first found were alluvial, this was not enough. We needed kimberlite pipes. The first was discovered in 1949 in Yakutia, then in the Arkhangelsk region. Thanks to this, our state has become one of the leaders in the extraction and processing of precious stones.

New deposits in Russia are being sought and developed today. According to forecasts, our reserves are still large.

Jewels of Australia and South Africa

Today, there are several countries that retain leadership in the extraction of precious stones, and the largest diamond deposits.

For a very long time, Australia was on the list of the largest states where diamonds are mined, but now its reserves are running out. Now stones are mined only in the Argyle mine, which is near the city of Kimberley. Recently, a rare pink variety of diamond was discovered here. Such crystals are sold only at auctions. However, Australian kimberlite deposits are about to be depleted.

Large reserves of diamonds are located in South Africa. The country is rich in minerals and gems. Not surprisingly, of all the countries of Africa, only it does not belong to the backward ones.

The first deposits in South Africa were discovered in 1867. For almost 2 centuries, it ranked first among countries in diamond mining. Almost 60% of all stones in the world came from there. Then deposits began to be actively developed in other countries, and South Africa lost the lead.

Since 2006, the volume of gem production in South Africa has decreased by 2 times. Also, the Republic of South Africa supplies much less stones to the world market. On the one hand, this is the result of a crisis in the country and the world. On the other hand, the cutting industry in South Africa is developing well, local demand for diamonds has grown, and they leave the country already with polished diamonds.

One of the largest diamond corporations, De Beers, is located in South Africa. It controls the development of deposits, mining, processing and who sells South African diamonds. The largest mine is Venice.

High Quality Angola Crystals

In fourth place among the countries of the world in terms of diamond mining is another African country - the mine - "Venice". 2 tons of precious crystals are mined here annually.

Among the diamonds of Angola, there are almost no small or low-quality ones. Angolan stones are large, colorless or pink.

The first deposits here were explored at the beginning of the 20th century. They were alluvial, that is, the stones were in the sand and clay along the river banks. When the country gained independence, diamonds were for a long time the currency for which weapons were bought, and they were mined unofficially. In the world, gems from Angola were called bloody.

Today the situation has changed. In the mines of Angola, legal stones are mined in the amount of 8.7 million carats per year. Their total cost is 1.5 billion dollars. The reserves are estimated at 180 million carats. To date, 700 kimberlite rocks are known.

The largest diamond mine is Fukauma.

The processing of precious crystals is also well developed here.

Gem mining in Canada and the USA

The first valuable crystals were found in Canada at the end of the 19th century, but industrial extraction began only in the 1990s. Then the world began to pay attention to how diamonds are mined in Africa and where they go. They talked about terrible working conditions, about the financing of military conflicts. Legality, "purity" of diamonds began to mean a lot.

Canada's main mines are located in the northern and northwestern parts of the country. There are several large ones, especially large and well-known "Renard" and "Gacho Quay". In 2017, they accounted for a third of the global growth in gem mining. Today, in the list of countries that are leaders in the diamond mining industry, Canada is in third place. It produces 12 million carats of gemstones worth $2 billion a year.

In the US, there are diamond mines only in the state of Arkansas. The country is not included in the list of industry leaders, but it is worth mentioning for two reasons. Firstly, in Arkansas there is the famous "Diamond Crater", the remains of the volcano. For some time, precious stones were mined here. Secondly, many stones mined in the world do not bypass America, because here is the largest gem-cutting center.

Botswana and other African countries

Botswana is the leader in diamond mining in Africa. She is second in the global rankings. More than half of the country is a barren desert, the climate does not allow farming. Gold and oil are mined in small quantities. However, Botswana may soon overtake South Africa in terms of living standards, and all thanks to diamonds.

Gems were found here only in the 1970s, but the country's mines quickly became famous - of all the deposits in the world, only these bring green diamonds. These crystals are extremely rare and are the most expensive purchase. They have become the hallmark of Botswana, thanks to which it is known to the world diamond market.

More than 40 million carats of gems are mined here annually. Export brings 2 billion dollars annually. The largest number of stones are found in the mines of Jwaneng and Orapa, as well as Damtshaa and Letlhakan.

Africa is rich in diamonds, they are also mined in other countries: in Tanzania, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Zaire, Congo. There are both abundant placers and pipes. Separately, perhaps, one can say about Namibia. There are large deposits here, and the country is classified as a significant diamond-mining state.

Where are the most gems found?

The richest diamond deposits in the world are located in Russia. The top 10 largest quarries look like this:

"Jubilee", RF;
"Udachny", RF;
"Mir", RF;
Argyle, Australia;
"Katoka", Angola;
"Venice", South Africa;
them. V.P. Grib, Russian Federation;
Jwaneng, Botswana;
Orapa, Botswana;
"Botoubinskaya", Russian Federation.

As you can see, our country takes the first three places. If you look for mines on the maps, we will see that most of them are located in Yakutia.

If we talk about the volumes of crystals found, diamond mining is distributed differently across countries. So, in terms of diamond mining, the leading countries are:

Botswana;
Russia;
Canada;
Angola.

The largest deposits of the planet, the extraction of stones, their turnover is controlled by several large companies, international corporations. Some own mines in different parts of the Earth. Three such leading companies can be noted: De Beers (South Africa), BP Billton (Australia) and the Russian ALKOROSA.

Everyone decided that this find had no industrial significance. They returned to exploration much later, in the middle of the 20th century. Given this fact, it is hard to imagine that all three of the largest diamond deposits in the world are currently located in Russia. Who else is lucky? We understand further, in our TOP of the largest diamond deposits in the world.

The jubilee quarry in Yakutia is the leader in terms of the total supply of precious stones - 153 million carats. Operation here began in 1986, and by now the depth of development has reached 320 meters. In forecasts - further deepening up to 720 meters.

The Udachny diamond quarry is also located in Yakutia. It is just nothing inferior to the Jubilee - 152 million carats. The deposit was found in 1955, so the open work was completed in 2015, however, underground mining is expected to continue for several decades. At the time of closing, the depth of the quarry was 640 meters - a world record!

At the moment, Mir is already closed: in 2001, open work was completed, and since 2009, diamonds have been mined here underground. The mine still presents 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.

Argyle is one of the rarest and "bad" diamond deposits in the world at the same time. How can it be? Yes, simple. Most of the diamonds that are mined here are of technical quality. But sometimes... Oh, sometimes the rarest pink diamonds are found in Argyle. 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.

Up to 130 million carats is the total value of Katoka in Angola. And since the field is quite young (works 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 (now - 200) and then the development will stop.

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

The development of this deposit is 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 US dollars for 100% of the company's shares. It should be noted that the deposit itself is estimated at 98 million carats, and the annual production of diamonds in the near future is 1 million carats.

About 88.3 million carats are in Jwaneng, but it is this mine that is considered the “richest” in the world, taking into account the amount of diamonds that are mined here. For example, in 2011, 10.641 million carats were mined here, and after all, development is already underway at a depth of 350 meters!

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 the record volumes of production of precious stones are behind us: in 2006, 17.3 million carats were produced here, then production began to fall.

The Botoubinskaya diamond pipe is located in Yakutia. Industrial development began in 2012, and is now only gaining momentum. For the first time, Botoubinsky diamonds entered the market in 2015. It is expected that the total reserves of the pipe will amount to 70.9 million carats, the life of the deposit is estimated at 40 years from the start of development.

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

This is not the first time business has expressed claims to 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 be submitted to the Parliament, and in December last year, the Vice Minister of Energy Sabit Nurlybay stated that the main principle of the new legislation will be the “polluter pays” principle. This principle concentrated constant environmental control to a narrow circle of nature users - about 200 companies that produce the lion's share of pollution, 70-80% of all emissions into the environment.

Narrow circle of blame

Almost all representatives of the mining and metallurgical sector automatically fell into a narrow circle of "pollutants". 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. For all this, the developers of the code allotted a period of five to seven years. Ignoring the demand should have led to the shutdown of the enterprise.

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

Therefore, representatives of the mining and metallurgical complex received a proposal: as part of the work on the code, to simulate all possible scenarios for the development of the situation associated with the expansion or contraction of production capacities and with the growth of vehicles and the residential sector of the country.

Misunderstandings have also arisen about the costs of implementing best available technologies to improve environmental performance. Business became interested: why, in this case, it should continue to pay environmental payments to local budgets at the same time.

Only the deadline has changed

As a result, the draft environmental code required more significant revision than expected, and was not submitted to parliament in February. In the government, whose conclusion precedes the parliamentary assessment, the code will be submitted only in September. However, as the executive director of AGMPK stated at the metallurgical forum Minex-2019 Nikolai Radostovets, the process of improving the eco-code should be suspended altogether for the time being. “Now an environmental code is being developed, it is being developed in a hurry,” Radostovets said. – There it is not at all clear how we should go further, and the code may come into force at the end of the year, since it is written in certain design decisions. Maybe we should slow down the cultivation process altogether? See how the Subsoil Code will work, look at world practice. The version of the environmental code that we are now seeing raises more questions than answers,” he added.

The main points on which subsoil users had questions to the project developers have not changed. The new Ecocode 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 put these programs into practice. Moreover, as Talgat Temirkhanov explained at the Minex-2019 forum, without fulfilling this requirement, enterprises will not be able to obtain integrated 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 future code by the metallurgical business, only the deadline for the possible closure of the enterprise has changed so far.

“The introduction of such a norm is a significant risk for the MMC, 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 MMC enterprises were put into operation in the middle of the last century, so they need a special approach. “If an enterprise has chosen the vector of introduction of the best available technologies, but ten years are not enough for its implementation, then there should be a mechanism that will allow such enterprises, by agreement with the authorized body, to extend the program to improve environmental efficiency for a period of no more than 20 years,” Temirkhanov specified.

Business versus government "visits"

Another norm against which the metallurgical business protests is the initiative to introduce a mechanism for “visiting” the environmental inspection of the largest polluting enterprises. A similar form of control is laid down in the Entrepreneurial Code - according to the observations of entrepreneurs, it is not always accompanied by good reasons and is often appointed on the basis of instructions from a particular state body or official. The developers justify the application of the norm by the need to obtain operational information about the fulfillment by users of their obligations. Users of natural resources fear that this norm will turn them into dairy cows.

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

And finally, the draft of the future code does not yet solve the issue of double or even triple environmental financial burden on the industry's enterprises. Currently, MMC representatives pay twice: in addition to environmental payments for emissions, they bear the burden of implementing environmental protection measures. And with the introduction of the practice of obtaining integrated environmental permits, they will have to fork out for the implementation of 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 legally agree on the position regarding the use of these environmental payments by the enterprises themselves when introducing BAT,” Temirkhanov said. - The legislator provides that Kazakhstan will develop standards based on European BREFs (industry reference books of the best available technologies. - Kursiv). But they are quite strict, and the limits on the standards in them are very tight. And at the first approximation, it becomes obvious that the MMC enterprises of Kazakhstan are not yet ready to switch to European standards at once, as this will require huge financial investments, 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 developed their own national BAT standards with one suspensive condition: since the adoption of these national standards, they are revised every 10 years in the direction of tightening and convergence with 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 come to an understanding on issues of principle for themselves. In this situation, they need an intermediary capable of taking 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 observe state interests, on the other hand, the development of the mining and metallurgical complex is within the orbit of the 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 intermediary role: “Now Kazakhstan continues to develop an environmental code, it should help in ensuring the country's transition to international standards. At the same time, we understand that now there is a struggle for investments in the world, so we need to find a golden mean that will suit the state and the investor,” Toktabayev said.