Mining industry

Mineral resources of Armenia

The subsurface of Armenia is rich in certain mineral resources, which were investigated during many decades. As a result, more than 480 deposits of mineral resources were discovered. Basic areas of subsurface use are: geological prospecting, output of mineral resources and the use of subsurface, non-connected with exploring and operating of mineral resources.

The perspectives of the development and effective use of mineral raw base depend on many factors. First of all the summarizing and modern analysis of geological and other information demands appropriate evaluation which will take into account the existing and expecting social-economic situation of Armenia.

Covering only 16% of South Caucasus, Armenia possesses the valuable reserves of mineral resources due to its interesting and difficult geological structure. The deposits of more than 38 metals and 70 types of solid minerals, as well as resources of underground sweet, mineral and thermal water were determined on the territory of RA. By the State Balance of Reserves there are investigated and preliminary estimated resources of only 18 types of metals and 47 types of rock products, as well as resources of sweet and mineral water.

Archeological studies and saved handwritten sources (Armenian, Greek, ancient Roman, Arabic) show that many deposits have been exploiting in ancient times.

The mineral resources of Armenia are very various. The following geological-industrialtypes of mineral formations present practical interest:

1. Magnetit-olivinic formation – powerful vein bodies with sharp drop, formed with serpentinous olivine and magnetite. The ore is naturally alloyed (Syunik marz).
2. Minerals formation (B, Al, Se, I, Tr) – presents industrial attraction in concentrations of alkaline intrusions. The rockforming nepheline is a basic material for extraction of aluminium (Kotayk marz).
3. The formation of rhenium-wolfram ores – vein-disseminated zones, veins, sockets, and lenses. Mineral composition – molybdenyt, chalcopyrite, gold, pyrite, bornite, halenit, blende, scheelite, from the diffused elements - Rhenium, Cadmium, Bismuth, Gallium, Thallium, Germanium, Indium, Selenium, Tellurium (Syunik and Lori marzes).
4. The copper-sulphuric-pyrite formation – veins, pins, sockets, vein- disseminated zones. Mineral composition – quartz, pyrite, chalcopyrite, halenit, blende, faded ores, enargite, and gold. It is necessary to point out the frequent existence of gold, cloth to the economic accumulation, in the form of admixtures in pyrite crystals. From the diffused elements - Rhenium, Cadmium, Bismuth, Gallium, Thallium, Germanium, Indium, Selenium, Tellurium, Gold, Silver, Ytterbium, Yttrium (Syunik and Lori marzes).
5. Polymetallic formation – Occupies leading positions in RA by its scale and industrial importance. It is introduced with several types of ores: lead-zinc, pyrite-polymetallic and polymetallic itself, in association with halenit, blende (with Cadmium), pyrite, chalcopyrite, faded ores, seldom with molybdenyt, gold and silver, as well as with gold-silver-antimony-sulphur-polymetallic type (Syunik, Lori, Kotayk and Vayots Dzor marzes).
6. The gold-silver-bismuth-tellurium formation: mineral composition – quartz, chalcedony, carbonates, pyrite, chalcopyrite, halenit, gold and electrum. The form of ore bodies – veins and vein-type bodies and zones of quartz-carbonate structure, stockworks (Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, Kotayk and Lori marzes).

During the Soviet period the exploring allowed revealing and estimating many deposits of mineral resources. Armenia held leading positions on explored and preliminary estimated reserves of a series of mineral resources among republics of Transcaucasia. According to the Mineral Resources State Balance of the former USSR as of 01.01.1991, 99.9% of Mo, more than 80% of Au, 85% of Cu and more than 50% of Fe reserves of Transcaucasia were on the territory of RA. Highly appreciable the reserves of non-metallics: (facing stones – 54.5%, marbles – 34.5%, tuffs – 80%), construction stones, cement raw, more than 40% of diatomite and bentonite clays, more than 70% of zeolite and gemstones, more than 90% of perlite, and 100% of turquoise, pumice and obsidian.

Industrial reserves of iron ore are estimated about a few hundred million tones, reserves of copper, lead, and zinc reserves – a few million tones, reserves of molybdenum – a few hundred thousands tones, reserves of gold and silver (joint) – a few thousands tones.

In iron ore deposits the average tenor of iron is 30%, copper average grade in copper-pyrite deposits is 3.5% and in complex copper-molybdenum and golden-polymetallic deposits – 0.3%, the average grades of lead and zinc in polymetallic deposits are respectively 1.1% and 2.8%. The average tenor of gold in gold deposits is 7g/t, and the tenor of silver – 13.5g/t. In metallic deposits there are also valuable resources of rare minerals – Rhenium, Cadmium, Bismuth, Gallium, Thallium, Germanium, Indium, Selenium, Tellurium and Sulfur.

Iron ore deposits are located in Kotayk marz, and introduced mainly in scarn (Hrazdan) and hystero-magmatic (Abovyan) types. The considerable part of copper reserves is concentrated in copper-molybdenum (Kajaran, Agarak, Lichk and Teghut), as well as in copper-pyrite (Kapan, Alaverdi, Shamlough) and in gold-polymetallic (Shahumyan, Armanis) deposits. Armenia is rich in molybdenum (Kajaran, Teghut) too. There are considerable gold resources in gold root (Sotk, Megradzor, Lichkvaz-Tey) and complex gold-polymetallic (Shahumyan, Armanis, Azatek, Gladzor, Marjan) deposits. There are valuable reserves of rare metals in gold-polymetallic, copper-molybdenum and copper-pyrite deposits.

As of 01.01.2001 the State Balance of mineral resources of RA on took into account reserves of 483 deposits. There are 24 deposits of non-ferrous, noble and ferrous metals, 385 deposits of solid non-metallic mineral resources and 74 fields of underground waters on balance.

Now 11 ore and about 100 deposits of solid non-metallic mineral resources are operating or preparing to operate (considering design stage). Remaining ones are on State Balance as reserve proven territories. It must be mentioned, that the deposits with the best mining and geological conditions are exploiting first of all.

The geological-economic estimation and counting of the reserves of proven territory of Armenia were realised more than 10 years ago in conditions of Soviet economic system. In our days not all of the deposits that were mentioned in the State Balance can operate with enough economic effectiveness. .In this sense experts distinguish 3 groups of State Balance’ s deposits;

• Deposits with normal economic reserves, which exploitation is expedient in conditions of the competitive market.
• Deposits with restricted economic reserves, which can be exploited in case of special measures of support (government grants, tax, privileges etc.) and special technologies.
• Deposits with limited economic reserves, which development in the present conditions is economically inexpedient. Hereafter they can become the subject of exploitation only as a result of modification of market system, engineering, ecological and other conditions.

The analysis allowed determining that only a part of reserve deposits refers to the first group. First of all, it regards to numerous deposits of non-metallic resources, explored 10s years ago. Thus, only 50% of reserved facing stones, 35% of construction stones’ deposits and 20% of cement raw materials may be related to the normal economic units. Some of deposits (Tezhsar's nepheline syenites, Abovyan's iron ores and Azatek's gold-polymetallic) also are classified as restricted and economically limited.

But increasing abilities and qualitative improvement of raw materials’ sources of Armenia are far from being exhausted. About 300 of non-ferrous, noble, radioactive and ferrous metals are discovered on the territory of Armenia. Tens of them are perspective. In modern conditions small deposits, distinguished by high quality of ores and with mining and geological conditions of operating acquire special attention. The availability of such plants is supposed among numerous staining of non-ferrous and noble metals.