OREANDA-NEWS. June 29, 2011. Within the next few years mining companies of Bashkortostan plan to increase ore mining by 30%. This will be feasible both due to enhance in capacity of “Bashkirskaya Med’”, a company of UMMC raw material complex, and due to modernization of the co-partners of the Ural holding among which Uchalinsky GOK is referred to play a core role. It was mentioned by Iskandar Makhmudov, President of UMMC, during the opening ceremony of the concentrator facilities LLC  “Bashkirskaya Med” on June 11th, last Saturday.

During his visit to a modern dressing mill Rustem Khamitov, President of Bashkortostan, has stressed that “by UMMC the republic possesses a major, serious and reliable partner”. “Our joint activity is very perspective. We are going to develop new deposits in the republic, to expand processing facilities. That means creation of new jobs and intensive development of infrastructure. The experience of cooperation with the holding proves future development and the targets are very impressive. Within the next five years UMMC will invest in the enterprises and new constructions about 30 billion rubles”, Iskandar Makhmudov said.

On the same day the government of Bashkortostan Republic and UMMC-Holding Corp. signed an agreement on key cooperation principles for 2011-2015. Dwelling on agreement terms, the company will invest 200 mln. rubles in development of social projects in Bashkortostan in 2011.

Iskandar Makhmudov drew his attention on effective cooperation with the Republic authorities that contributed to successful implementation of the project on construction of concentrating mill at Bashmed. The first complex of the factory is designed to treat 1.5 mln. tones of ore annually. The perspective is to raise an output to 3 mln. tpy. Such two-stage construction has come from the necessity to enhance investments utilization efficiency, reduce project payback period and from ore supply perspectives of the factory.

"We have raised the concentrator up almost from the ground zero, and the global economic crisis made it more difficult. Nevertheless, the 10 mln. rubles facility was built just in 4 years", - Andrey Kozitsyn, General Director of UMMC, said. He expressed gratitude to all people that worked as one team to realize this large-scale project.

From the very beginning, advanced technical solutions were taken into account for "Bashmed"’s concentrator project. Thus, copper and copper-zinc ore can be received and treated at the mill simultaneously. Efficient ore preparation and dressing flow-sheet provides for production of 20% of copper concentrate and 50% of zinc concentrate with high degree of extraction.

For timely process monitoring, feedstock and washed product quality control there was arranged an analytical control laboratory fitted with state-of-the art equipment. “Courier”, modern automated system of sampling, supply and assaying of processed products (supplied by Finnish company Outotec) was introduced for the purpose of on-line control. Moreover the recycling water supply system was arranged to minimize man-made impact.

JV ZAO “RIVS”, St. Petersburg developed the concentrator’s process regulations and construction project. This company also supplied the floatation equipment. “RIVS” floatation machines have proved their efficiency during long-term operation at domestic enterprises (including Uchaly and Sibai dressing mills) and abroad. Semi-autogenic grinding mills, up-to-date high-speed thickeners, press-filters for dewatering of finished concentrates were also supplied by leading domestic and foreign producers. All this ensures efficient ore treatment of Jubileynoye mine.

“Bashmed” operates in modern way, under a rotation system that has proved to be economically feasible at other mining enterprises of UMMC. Highly skilled ore-dressers form the basis of concentrator’s staff. “Today, more than 240 people work at the concentrator. In view of launching the zinc production line in the nearest future, another 40 people will be employed,” Sergei Dyachenko, General Director of LLC  “Bashmed”, reported.