Gold Deposits Of The CIS

Book excerpt: “Perestroika” in the former Soviet Union at the end of 1980s and subsequent breakdown of the country with the Common Wealth of Independent States (CIS) formation has opened a vast new region for the western mining companies for exploration and development. The possibility of finding unexplored gold deposits was one of the major incentives that attracted many small and big mining companies to CIS because this region of Eurasia is famous for containing the world’s largest cumulative gold reserve. However, because of the Soviet secrecy laws regarding all gold-related information, very little has been known about already explored gold deposits and their potential. “Gold Deposits of the CIS” represents the first comprehensive study in English of the gold and gold-silver deposits and their resources of the former Soviet Union. The book includes: (1) a history of gold exploration and mining in this region from ancient times, (2) the contemporary classification of the deposits, (3) a detailed description of more than 50 major and most representative gold and gold-silver deposits – all including their location, geological setting, structure, alteration style, mineralogy and resources and reserves and (4) the reserve estimation of all former Soviet gold-producing countries and their potential for possible new discoveries. Several explored and developed into production deposits, such as Kupol, Sarylakh, Sentachan, Natal'evskoye, Kuro-Tegerek, Zod, and some others, are described in English for the first time. The book gives a significant body of new information for exploration and mining companies, scientists, faculties and students of mining schools, as well as policy makers concerned with exploration and development of gold deposits in the world. Also, it provides important material for comparative studies between the gold deposits of the former Soviet Union and the West.