Located in the Russian far east, the Amursk POX hub comprises two high-grade refractory gold deposits, the Albazino and Mayskoye mines, and three processing facilities, the Amursk hydrometallurgical plant, Albazino concentrator and Mayskoye concentrator.
The Amursk hydrometallurgical plant uses POX technology to process refractory concentrates, which require pre-treatment oxidation before conventional cyanidation to extract the gold.
Recently an independent third-party auditor, Wardell Armstrong, confirmed that the Amursk POX hub and supply chain are in full compliance with the Cyanide Code's principles and practices.
The code, known as the ‘International Cyanide Management Code For the Manufacture, Transport, and Use of Cyanide In the Production of Gold' in full, was developed by a steering committee under the guidance of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the International Council on Metals and the Environment (ICME - now ICMM).
As a voluntary industry programme, the Cyanide Code covers companies involved in the production of gold or silver using cyanide or producing and transporting this cyanide.
Polymetal became a signatory to the Cyanide Code as a mining company in 2016 and as a cyanide transporter in 2018.
In addition, Polymetal said it is now developing a corporate cyanide management system, which will be implemented this year, and has fully integrated the code principles and standards of practice into its health, safety and environmental management systems.
