Production of Mercury in the Russian Federation

Historical View

First information on mercury production in Russia dates back to 1725, when a merchantman Peter Anisimov established a mercury factory, and the sources of feedstock were kept in secret (Kuzin, 1961). The first commercial extraction of mercury ore (cinnabar) in Russia was initiated in 1759 at Ildikanskoye deposit in Transbaikalia and was occasionally carried out till 1853. (Korvatsky, 1907). The first recovery of metallic mercury in Russia took place at this deposit. In the end of XIX - beginning of XX, minor amounts of cinnabar were extracted in alluvial deposits in Amur oblast. Approximately at the same time, sections of Hg deposits were mined at Birksuisky ore deposit (South Fergana) and Khpek deposit (South Dagestan).

In 1879 Nikitovskoye mercury deposit (Ukraine) was discovered, the operation of which started (in parallel with metal smelting) in 1887 (Auerbach, 1888). In 1887-1908 annual volumes of Hg production in Nikitovsky mine varied from 47.3 to 615.9 tonnes. The data-based estimations (Auerbach, 1888; Berling, 1928; Veber, Markov, 1917; Ore Industry..., 1922) show that since 1887 till 1917, 6,762 t of metallic mercury was extracted at this mine, and a considerable part was exported (during 1889 - 1907 the exported was more than 5,145 t of Hg). In the beginning of XX century, Russia imported cinnabar and mercury as well. For instance, in 1913, 56 t of cinnabar and 168 t of mercury were imported, in 1914 - 41 t of cinnabar and 129 t of mercury (Veber, Markov, 1917).

In 1900-1908, metallic mercury consumption in Russia varied within 49-118 t/year (Veber, Markov, 1917). At that time mercury was used in medicine and pharmaceutics, for production of mirrors and paints, thermometers, barometers, manometers and other appliances, for rubbing pads of electrical machines, gold mining using the amalgamation method, copper and bronze gilding, felt treatment, gold-embroidery and laboratory purposes.

2.1.2 Extraction and Primary Production of Mercury in the USSR and Russia

Before the USSR dissolution, metallic mercury was basically supplied to industrial enterprises from Ukraine (Nikitovka) and Kirgizia (Khaidarkan). Share of mercury annually produced in Russia usually did not exceed 3-5% of total production in the former USSR. Totally, about 77,000 t of mercury was produced in the former USSR, including 7,300 t at Russia's enterprises [1].

For today, the State Inventory of Minerals of Russia has registered 24 mercury deposits, which in general have low quality ores (see Table 2.3). The most of the deposits are essentially mercury ones (cinnabar) storing about not more than 2 th. t of the metal. Only four deposits are relatively large - Tamvanteyskoye (14 th. t), Zapadnopalyanskoye (10.1 th. t), Chagan-Uzunskoye (14 th. t), "Zvezdochka" (3 th. t) (The Mineral Resources of the World by 1.01.2001..., 2002).

Table 2.1 Major mercury production sites in the former USSR*

Enterprise, deposit	Operation period	Mercury produced	Note
Ukraine
Nikitovsky mercury combine, Nikitovsky ore field (basically - Nikitovsky deposit)	1887-1995	More than 35,000 t	In 1996 ?. ore extraction and production of mercury was stopped; in the second half of 90-ies the combine reportedly recycled mercury from wastes, as well as from previously extracted ores (20-50 t/year)
Borkut Deposit, Zakarpatskaya oblast	Middle of 60-ies - beginning of 80-ies	About 500 t	Underground mining
Kirgizia
Khardaykansky mining and smelting combine, Khardaykanskoye, Novoye, Chauvaiskoye, Chonkoyskoye deposits	Since 1942 up to now	More than 32,000 t	In 1995-2000 primary production of mercury amounted to 380-620 t/year
Tadjikistan
The concentrate produced at the concentrating plant of Anzobsky combine? (Jijikrutskoye antimony deposit) was processed in Khaikardan	End of 60-ies - 80-ies	About 1,000	In 1993-2000 up to 9-80 t of mercury per year was produced from the concentrate; it is planned to arrange internal mercury production in the country
Azerbaijan
Shorbulak and Agatyag deposits (Nagorny Karabakh)	70-ies	About 150 t	The deposits are almost completely exhausted
Kazahstan
Lead-zinc combine, Ust-Kamenogorsk city (East Kazakhstan oblast), associated mercury recycling from complex ores	1970-80	About 130 t (4-6 t/year in average)	In 1996-2000, the associated mercury production amounted to 10-20 t/year **
Russia***
Aktash mining and smelting enterprise, Altai kray, Aktash deposit	1941-1990	About 5 th. t (at annual volume from 30 to 130 t)	In 90-ies the enterprise periodically melted the mercury from spent electrolyzers of chlorine-alkali plants, mercury lamps, mercury oxides production wastes etc.).in 2002, the project on Hg-containing wastes recycling was elaborated (up to 15 th. t/year with recovery of 120 t of recycled mercury);
NPP Kubantsvetmet CJSC (former "Krasnodarsky Mine"), Sakhalin deposit, Krasnodar Kray	C 1970-х гг. до1994 г..	More than 500 t	Due to economic difficulties the underground part of the mine was temporary closed down in 1990, and the mine was abandoned in 1993; since 1995 the recycled mercury production has been carried out from time to time
Terluhaiskoye deposit, Tyva Republic	1970-1972	40 t	The dormant mine
Plamennoye deposit, Chukotka	70-ies	About 150 t	The deposit is exhausted; up to 30% of cinnabar reserves contained in dealluvial deposit

* in metallurgy and economy the distinguished are primary mercury (produced from mercury ores), accompanying mercury (obtained at extraction of ores of other metals, where mercury is contained as impurity) and secondary mercury (recycled from waste).

**this estimation provided in various sources is obviously overvalued;

*** In Siberia (Altai, Kuznetsky Alatau, Zabaikailye, Khabarovsk kray) small mercury deposits (Soukhonkoye, Beloosipovskoye, Chuiskoye, Lanskoye etc.) were occasionally developed by prospectors and small exploratory enterprises; the total mass of the metallic mercury amounts to about 150 t.

Sources: (Bagatayev, 1998; Butov et al, 1997; Reference Book..., 2002; the Mineral Resources of the World (at the beginning of 1994), 1995; the Mineral Resources of the World at the beginning of 1997, 1998; the Mineral Resources of the World at the beginning of 1998, 1999; the Mineral Resources of the World at the beginning of 1999, 2000; the Mineral Resources of the World at 1.01.2000, 2001, 2002; Obolensky et al., 1995; Mercury in environment of Siberia, 1995; Fedorchuk, 1983; Yagolnitser et al, 1995)

Considerable concentrations of mercury are observed in copper pyrite ores, polymetal, gold-silver and other types of ore deposits (Bobrova et. al., 1990; Ozerova, 1986; Pshenichny, 1975; Phedorchuk, 1983). The exceeded concentration (up to 88-800 mg/kg) of mercury is observed in copper pyrite deposits of the Southern Urals (Uchalinskoye, Uzelginskoye, Sibaiskoye, Buribaiskoye, Bakr-Tau, Yubileynoye, Gaiskoye, etc.). Concentration of mercury in ores of gold-silver deposits in the north-east of Russia amounts to 8-75 mg/kg in average (up to 150-700 mg/kg max) (Sakharova et al., 1998).

The existing Russian technologies for processing e.g. copper pyrite ores do not employ mercury extraction (Permyakov, 1994). Therefore mercury is dispersed in the environment (basically with atmospheric releases and solid waste streams). For instance the annual amount of ores mined in Safyanovskoye deposit contain up to 10 t of mercury which is lost during the ores processing (the Mineral Resources of the World by 1.01.2001, 2000). According to the assessments (Butov et al, 1997), non-ferrous industries in Russia may ammually extract up to 100 t of accompanying mercury.

Table 2.2 Extraction and production of mercury in NIS countries, 1991 ( Rogovoy, 2000)

Country	In % of total amount
	Extraction	Production
Kirgizia	57	60
Ukraine	31	37
Tadjikistan	5	-
Kazakhstan	4	0.5
Russia	3	2.5

Table 2.3 Mercury reserves in regions of the Russian Federation (Butov et al, 1997)

Region of RF	Deposit	Geological and industrial type	Share in reserves (B+C1+C2), % *	Hg content in ore, % **
Mercury deposits
Altai kray	Soukhonkoye	Carbonate	0.6	0.24
Kamchatka oblast	Lyapganayskoye	Opalite	3.5	0.63
	Alyutorskoye	Opalite	1.7	1.05
	Chempurinskoye	Opalite	0.7	1.07
Kemerov oblast	Kupriyanovskoye	Quartz-dickite	0.2	0.32
Krasnoyarsky kray	Belokamennoye	Quartz-dickite	2.3	0.47
	Salinskoye	Quartz-dickite	2.4	0.42
	Dalneye	Quartz-dickite	1.8	0.31
	Kaskadino	Quartz-dickite	0.1	0.14
Altai Republic	Chagan-Uzunskoye	Listvenite	7.0	0.42
	Cheremshnskoye	Carbonate	0.1	0.50
Saha Republic (Yakutiya)	Zvezdochka	Quartz-dickite	6.2	1.59
	Gal-Khaya	Quartz-dickite	1.1	0.60
	Severnoye	Quartz-dickite	0.4	1.09
	Sredneye	Quartz-dickite	0.3	3.40
	Belgokakchan	Quartz-dickite	0.1	1.63
Tiva Republic	Terlighaiskoye	Polyargirite	5.1	0.22
Northern Osetiya Republic- Alaniya	Tibskoye	Quartz-dickite	1.6	0.25
Khabarovsk kray	Lanskoye	Polyargirite	1.2	0.52
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug	Tamvanteyskoye	Listvenite	33.1	0.70
	Zapadnopalyanskoye	Quartz-dickite	24.0	0.53
Mercury containing deposits (associated mercury)
Bashkortostan Republic	Podolskoye	Copper pyrite	4.6	0.0025.0
Chelyabinsk oblast	Talganskoye	Copper pyrite	0.6	0.0059
Sverdlovsk oblast	Safyanovskoye	Copper pyrite	0.2	0.0014

* the revealed mercury stocks in Russia by 2001 are estimated as 45.3 th. t, including 15.6 th. t - industrial stocks;

** the average content of mercury in ores is equal to 0.453%.

The primary production of mercury in the former USSR in 1970-80 is considered to be up to 1,200-1,300 t per year (Butov et al, 1997). But at the same time, it is known that Khardaikansky combine in the USSR time produced about 1,200 t of mercury per year (Mercury. Production and Processing// http...), and Nikitivsky ore factory annually produced up to 1,000 t of mercury (300-400 t of which is recycled mercury) (The Mineral Resources of the World by 1997..., 1998). To all appearances, the data on primary production of mercury in the USSR provided in some domestic and foreign sources and indicating production amounts equal to 1,900-2,200 t/year reflects the factual situation (see Table 2.4).

Table 2.4 Primary production of mercury in the former USSR and in Russia *

Year	Country	Mercury, t/year	Source
1981	USSR	2,173	(Masters, 1983)
1982	USSR	1,966	(Masters, 1983)
1983-1989	USSR	By 1,500-1,700	(Metallgesellschaft, 1992), (Risk Reduction Monograph No. 4..., 1995)
80-ies	USSR	In average by 2,200	(Skitskiy, Donskih, 1999)
1991	USSR (NIS)	1,330	(Reference Book..., 2002)
1989	Russia (RSFSR)	27	(the Mineral Resources of the World (at the beginning of 1994), 1995)
1990	Russia (RSFSR)	32	(The Mineral Resources of the World (at the beginning of 1994), 1995)
1991	Russia	28-32	(Reference Book ..., 2002; The Mineral Resources of the World (at the beginning of 1994), 1995)
1992	Russia	27	(the Mineral Resources of the World (at the beginning of 1994), 1995; The Mineral Resources of the World at the beginning of 1997, 1998)
1993	Russia	from 4 to 7	(the Mineral Resources of the World (at the beginning of 1994 ?.), 1995; the Mineral Resources of the World at the beginning of 1997, 1998)

* In 1995 primary production of mercury in Russia was stopped (the Mineral Resources of the World at the beginning of 1998, 1999).

In present, the potential capacities for primary production of mercury are located at NPP Kubantsvetmet CJSC in Sakhalinskoye deposit of Krasnodarsky Kray (up to 50-60 t/year) and Aktash mining and smelting factory in Altai Kray (up to 100 t/year). However, small scale and low quality of Hg ores of Sakhalin deposit and lack of own stocks of raw materials at Aktash mining factory make it impossible to resume operations.

Today, primary production of mercury - neither from mercury ores nor as by-product - does not take place in Russia. Small amounts of sludge from processing of zinc containing about 30% mercury were exported to Kyrgyzstan for further processing and mercury production. This is further discussed in section 4.4.

Development of large Tamvatneyskoye and Zapadnopolyanskoye deposits in scarcely populated areas of Chukotka is possible only with heavy capital investments, which can not be relied on given the narrowness of internal and external mercury markets. Moreover, the development of these deposits can affect the spawning of valuable fish species.

From Danish EPA http://www.mst.dk/homepage/