Fueling the gold rush

Despite the fact that Dundee Precious Metals (DPM), with its daughter company Avala Resources d.o.o., present in the territory of the municipality of Žagubica since 2006, working on the Project of research and exploitation of gold ore on the stretch "Potaj Čuka - Tisnica", for a long time it was not possible to find any information, written or published, either about the chemical or mineralogical composition of the ore which DPM intends to exploit. Only from the Study "Spatial plan of the area of ​​special purpose...." (Spatial plan of the area of ​​special purpose for the exploitation of gold in the exploration area "Potaj Čuka - Tisnica" near Žagubica; Elaborate for early public inspection, In Belgrade, September 2021), see the intention to open a mine, the method of exploitation and obtaining gold, with a hint about the presence of pyrite in the composition of the ore and its possible impact on the environment.

The chemical and mineralogical composition of the "Potaj Čuka - Tisnica" ore deposit could be calculated based on the composition of two nearby ore bodies, Tenka and Čoka Marin. Namely, in the "Potaj Čuka - Tisnica" ore body, in addition to gold and silver, we should also expect minerals of copper, zinc, lead, arsenic, iron (pyrite and arsenopyrite), cadmium, mercury and nickel. Probably some other non-ferrous metals as well. In other words, we should also expect polymetallic ore in this mine, the exploitation and processing of which can have a correspondingly harmful impact on the environment, if complex technology is not applied that would keep under control all compounds of hazardous metals, which are created in the process of gold extraction. However, complex technology implies higher investments, higher operational costs, qualified workforce, all of which would affect the economic and environmental sustainability of the project...

Read on the entire text of Velizar Stanković in the weekly "Vreme" from Thursday (April 6)

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