On April 18-19, the Karpinsky Institute hosted the meeting "Prospects for the Development of Regional Geological Exploration of Mineral Resources in the Russian Federation with the Involvement of Mineral Developers’ Own Funds

The meeting can indeed be called “all-Russian”, since it was attended by more than 200 experts from over 60 organisations from all regions of the country, including 30 mining companies: Gazprom, Rosneft, Lukoil, Novatek, Alrosa, Polymetal, Nordgold, Mangazeya Mining, UK Polyus, Norilsk Nickel, Rusolovo, Ural mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK), AGD Diamonds, Russian Copper Company, Tyumenneftegaz, Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEK), Irkutsk Oil Company and others.

The meeting opened with an address by Evgeny Petrov, Head of the Federal Agency for Mineral Resources, who noted that since 2005, the problems of state geological mapping have been widely discussed at the Karpinsky Institute in order to improve the geological study of the country's area and create a reliable basis for mineral resource management. Until recently, regional geological studies of underground resources were the exclusive prerogative of the state and were carried out by subordinate institutions on behalf of the state. Last year, amendments to the Underground Resources Law were elaborated, enshrining the right of mineral developers to participate in regional studies of mineral resources. To implement the Law from 1 September 2024, Rosnedra has developed regulations on the work flow procedure.

Evgeny Petrov emphasized the need for cooperation between the state and mineral developers in order to achieve strategic goals set for the development of country's mineral resources base.

Pavel Khimchenko, Director General of the Karpinsky Institute, underlined in his presentation:
"The purpose of today's meeting is to determine what new mechanisms of legal regulation of mineral management are envisaged, and what exactly the mineral developer will get from the introduction of these mechanisms. For the Karpinsky Institute, as the leading institution of Rosnedra in regional geological exploration for mineral resources, it is very important to hear proposals and needs of mineral developers interactively and to discuss possible ways of joint work".

Pavel Khimchenko also noted that the Karpinsky Institute is ready to provide mineral developers with a high level of expert support in their work, starting from the preparation of an application for a particular area, design, advanced airborne geophysical and geochemical surveys, ground verification of reference areas, mining, drilling, present-day laboratory and analytical studies.

The two-day meeting demonstrated the importance of establishing a dialogue between mineral developers and state structures. Discussions concerning complex and topical issues of interaction within the framework of amendments to the Underground Resources Law were successfully held, proposals and needs of both parties were discussed, possible ways of interaction in the creation of a list of mineral properties for regional exploration at the expense of the state and mineral developers' own funds, as well as solving complex problems of information interaction and achieving prospecting efficiency were outlined.

The second day of the conference focused on the industry's mandatory requirements at the stage of geological exploration, the role of mineral developers in the resumption of large-scale regional geological surveys at a scale of 1:50,000 and larger, which have not been carried out by the state since the mid-1990s of the last century.

The experts of the Karpinskiy Institute also presented new methods and technologies of geological surveys of various scales, geophysical surveys, laboratory and analytical support, new methods and innovative technologies of special metallogenic surveys, ore target forecasting, digital technologies at all technological stages, which were already actively used and once again proved the high competence of the Karpinskiy Institute in regional geological exploration.

The significant result of the meeting is the fact that the mineral developers in general have confirmed their interest in participating in regional geological exploration. Understanding of the tasks of joint activities on many issues was reached on the first day.

The remaining issues will soon be outlined in the Declaration of the Meeting and will be the subject of further regulation of innovations.

The implementation of some provisions of the Law in practice will require additional legal regulation and further clarification, so the Karpinsky Institute is already considering the possibility of holding the second meeting with mineral developers this summer, after the adoption of bylaws..