In the July issue (about to mail and be available to download here), John Chadwick reports from one of the cleanest gold mines in the world in the farthest east boundary of the EU, with expanding production likely. Endomines’ Pampalo gold mine is currently producing gold at an annualised rate of 800-900 kg. The mine is located on the 40 km-long gold-critical Karelian Gold Line, where Endomines controls all currently known gold deposits. The mine project was completed in December 2010, on schedule and in line with the budget at €20 million. Commercial production commenced in February 2011 as scheduled.The Pampalo deposit, which remains open at depth, is located in the central part of the Karelian Gold Line, 5 km north of the village Hattuvaara. It is an Archean orogenic gold deposit in an intermediate pyroclastic unit, metamorphosed to greenschist – lower-amphibolite facies.  It lies close to the border with Russia in the most easterly extremity of the European Union.

Plant capacity was increased from 230,000 t/y to 270,000 t/y by debottlenecking during 2011. Metallurgical testing demonstrated that the gold could be very efficiently extracted by gravimetric separation and flotation concentration. The best results indicated a recovery of more than 90%. As a result, this mine is very clean with minimal emissions, and none to the environment. Its tailings facility is full of what is effectively potable water.