Should private owners be allowed to mine gold? Free search for gold in our country. Gold mining license Law on private gold mining

Once again, officials in the eastern regions of Russia proposed allowing free development of gold by private individuals. In January of this year, scientists from Krasnoyarsk, officials of the Magadan region and the Civic Chamber of the Trans-Baikal Territory made another proposal to the Russian government. Despite the fact that back in February 2016, the Russian Ministry of Nature developed a corresponding bill considering certain aspects of private gold mining, a decision on it has not yet been made. “Free bringing” remains prohibited for now.

Improved economic performance and additional jobs

Supporters of the project consider the creation of additional jobs to be the main argument in defense of the law on free gold mining. This is especially true for remote regions where gold was and remains the only source of income for the family.

Attempts by the Russian Ministry of Nature to amend the law on gold mining have not stopped since the 90s of the last century. As one of the ministry officials comments: “For the Magadan region, allowing individual entrepreneurs to mine alluvial gold is, first of all, of social significance associated with the creation of new jobs without additional investments, which will reduce social tension in the region and make our territory attractive for an influx of population.”

The authorities of the Republic of Sakha share a similar point of view. According to the statements of the deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the region, Viktor Fedorov, allowing free gold mining means allowing citizens of the Russian Federation, residents of Yakutia and other regions, to exercise their constitutional right to work, and to legalize the huge shadow business in this area. As he said: “As soon as the bill is submitted to our Legislative Assembly, we will definitely support it, because it will only have a positive effect for Yakutia.”

According to Alexander Kugaevsky, director of the financial and economic institute of the North-Eastern Federal University, free gold mining will certainly lead to the development of industrial tourism and an influx of labor to the mining regions. From all regions of Russia, people flock to Yakutia and the Magadan region for the mines. In addition, he clarified: “But we need to think through all the nuances in detail: accepting the gold, how and where people will hand over what they have mined, and ensuring the safety of the miners.”

At one time, in February 2016, scientists from Krasnoyarsk also supported the law on free mining. The bright minds of Russia believe that the revival of the mining of precious metals by private miners will make it possible to bring out of the shadows a significant share of modern illegal business in this area. Specialists from the Public Chamber of the Trans-Baikal Territory also believe that by prohibiting private gold mining, the government contributes to the establishment of criminal power and the growth of corruption. And, on the contrary, allowing free artisanal mining will create new jobs, promote self-employment, and attract qualified personnel to the regions.

Another opinion: crime and environmental damage

One of the ardent opponents of the legalization of alluvial gold mining in the Russian Federation by individuals is Roman Shcherbakov, a mining engineer and deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Trans-Baikal Territory: “Every coin has two sides. It would seem that allowing the population to mine gold on their own is an excellent initiative that will give people the opportunity to earn money and feed their families, and will stop the outflow of the population. But, on the other hand, you need to understand that law enforcement and supervisory authorities, as well as municipal authorities in the regions, are often not prepared for the amount of work that will be associated with free labor, which will inevitably lead to a lot of problems.”

Among other disadvantages of private mining practice, Roman Shcherbakov sees significant damage to the environment and nature. He explains: “Large cooperatives are responsible to the environment and after production they carry out reclamation, which is much easier to monitor than to monitor where and how hundreds of private owners work.”

Shcherbakov sees an equally significant problem that free gold mining will lead to is the increase in banditry and the number of thefts: “Gold found in artels is under guard, the risk of its theft is low. Of course, something leaks out, but the bulk officially goes through the bank. Can we achieve this with freedom? Hardly. Gold will go to the side, to the black markets, primarily to China. "Resellers will appear - crime, which will be difficult to fight, including due to the lack of strength among law enforcement agencies."

The possibility of official employment of gold miners and their honesty in paying taxes also raises certain concerns. According to representatives of the Union of Prospectors of Russia, which previously opposed the transfer of mining permission to private individuals, the creation of a large number of individual organizations could cause a certain “cooling of the industry.”

The Ministry of Natural Resources of the Magadan Region notes: “The extraction of alluvial gold by individual entrepreneurs raises a number of questions among representatives of Rosprirodnadzor regarding control over geological study, rational use and protection of subsoil. It is also necessary to resolve issues related to the safety and sale of alluvial gold mined by individual entrepreneurs.”

There is particular fear in the ministry possible problems with ecology and work safety related to the relaxation of legislation regarding alluvial gold mining. However, they are confident that such risks are minimized, since “in accordance with the terms of use of the subsoil, enshrined in the license, before the start of mining work, a technical project for the development of the deposit must be drawn up, including chapters on protection environment and safe conduct of mining operations...".

The history of free mining in our country

Private gold mining was allowed in our country until 1954. After this time, the conversation about free mining was first raised by the government of the Magadan region in the 90s of the 20th century. But unsuccessfully! At the moment, the State Duma is still considering the law of September 2010, which could significantly change the situation in the mining of precious metals.

The press service of the governor of the Magadan region reported in October 2015 that the State Duma would once again consider the law “On Subsoil” with the necessary amendments, including on the free flow of gold. According to these changes, Kolyma was supposed to become the first test region in this direction. The press service also reported that the government plans to give the abandoned plots of land to individuals for development. large enterprises due to their unprofitability and insignificant gold reserves. The option of developing dumps previously processed by industrial enterprises should also be considered.

In February 2016, the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation proposed new law, who proposed allowing private owners to mine alluvial gold. According to this bill, individuals can independently participate in the development of gold placers in areas included in the state balance sheet, the reserves of which do not exceed 10 kg. To carry out work, individual entrepreneurs are required to obtain an appropriate license.

This law also implies that private owners receive the right to develop mines exclusively on their own. Development should be carried out at a depth of no more than 5 meters, without the use of machinery and equipment, with the exception of hand tools. In this case, the creation and approval of any technical documentation is not required. According to the bill, the Government of the Russian Federation will determine a list of regions where the go-ahead will be given for free birth.

Currently, this law is under consideration and approval by the Government of the Russian Federation, after which it will be sent to the State Duma. So at the moment, the question of whether Russia will revive free trade as a once thriving branch of its industry remains open.

DO YOU LIKE THE SITE? CLICK

Many Russian residents with an adventurous nature, having watched enough on TV of prospectors searching for gold in the USA and Australia, are inspired by the idea of ​​becoming prospectors. It is doable, although difficult.

If previously in Russia there was a ban on gold mining by private individuals, then starting in 2017 it was lifted, and private owners were again allowed to search for the precious metal. This was done to support small businesses in remote areas - primarily in Chukotka, Yakutia, the Far East, the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Altai Republic. The government expects that private traders will be able to additionally replenish the Russian treasury by 300 kilograms of gold per year.

Law is law

The extraction of precious metals in Russia is regulated by Law No. 2395-1 “On Subsoil” and Law No. 41-FZ “On Precious Metals and Precious Stones” of 1998.

According to the amendments to the law, individuals must be registered as individual entrepreneurs. They are entitled to a license to develop small vacant plots of up to 150,000 square meters for a period of five years. There are a number of restrictions: they do not have the right to hire other people, they do not have the right to use heavy equipment on the site, gold mining must be carried out manually - with metal detectors, hand dredges, and washing trays. The use of heavy equipment - bulldozers, drilling machines is not allowed.

Private owners are allowed to mine gold only in areas where there is no industrial gold mining, and the amount of precious metal mined on the site should not exceed ten kilograms.

Miners do not have the right to go deeper into the ground than five meters. Thus, ore gold remains almost completely out of sight of private owners - they can only mine native gold or extract gold sand by panning.

Illegal gold mining

Until now, almost 10% of gold production in Russia comes from the “black” sector, and there is a risk of meeting “black” miners in the taiga. This type of activity is prohibited, but in remote parts of the country it may be overlooked, and this should be remembered. In some places, there are entire illegal settlements of “black” gold miners.

Their actions fall under Article No. 191 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, according to which illegal trafficking in precious metals, their transportation, purchase or sale on a large scale is punishable by forced labor or imprisonment for up to five years with a fine of up to 500,000 rubles or withholding of wages for three years . If the crime is committed by a group of persons, then the term increases to seven years, and the fine - up to 1,000,000 rubles. Especially large size gold mining is production from 1,500,000 rubles. In other cases, you can get off with a fine or probation.

Criminal liability will also arise if a miner inadvertently or deliberately invades someone else’s land, that is, encroaches on the property of another miner or company.

Goes the official route

Information about vacant plots can be found in the branches of the Rosnedra agency - this is a federal agency that maintains cadastral records and issues licenses for the extraction of minerals, including precious stones and gold. The agency's branches are located in almost all regional centers of Russia. After reviewing the proposed sites, you need to choose the one that seems most promising to you, pay a state fee of 7,500 rubles and submit an application. There are no auctions or competitions for private owners. The answer, in theory, should come within 30 days.

Of course, there may be pitfalls here. Newcomers are unlikely to be allowed to work in good areas. There are companies that provide services for obtaining a license, their services are valued at 100,000–200,000 rubles, which indicates that their services are used, otherwise such companies simply would not exist.

However, there is a way to become a miner without obtaining a license: to do this you need to enter into an agreement with a gold mining company and, for example, get from them for a certain percentage the opportunity to work on the dumps of an enterprise or where there is not enough gold for the industrial mining method, but there is still a lot for private owner

As far as one can judge from the remarks of the miners themselves on the Internet, the majority of private traders are dissatisfied with the new law - many hoped that the “free supply” of gold by miners to state buyers would be allowed, that is, the method by which gold miners pay taxes upon the fact of extracting the precious metal.

If you managed to get a license, it’s too early to rejoice - firstly, most of the sites are really in remote places, where “half a heifer and a ruble are transported.” Secondly, in addition to income tax, you will have to pay mineral extraction tax. Thirdly, you will have to worry about prospecting for gold in your chosen area - it may not be there, and you will be burned out.

Well, then you should remember that you yourself will have to worry about your own safety, protect yourself from bears, and the mined gold from people. You will find mosquitoes, midges, ticks, animals, cold nights, spending the night in a scarf, meetings with unpleasant people, disagreements with locals, possibly snowfalls and a very short season, because in the north summer lasts only three months: it begins in June and ends In the end of August.

But if difficulties only fuel the desire to get rich, and you are healthy, full of enthusiasm and, most importantly, know geology well, you can try.

Based on the results of 2014, the Russian Federation took fourth place in the ranking list of world leading countries in terms of annual production of the yellow precious metal. Gold mining in Russia is carried out, as a rule, using traditional methods. Gold mining is usually divided into public and private. We have previously mentioned the opportunities for private gold mining in Russia today and revealed currently undeveloped mines that may be of interest to private gold miners. In this article we will talk, in general, about the possibilities of gold mining in Russia, consider the main deposits, and also characterize the volume of annual gold mining in Russia along with its methods.

Places

There are many gold deposits concentrated in Russia

Gold mines located in Russia have always brought significant profits to gold miners. However, over time, the geography of gold mines changes due to the fact that some of them are closed, while others begin to be developed.

Undoubtedly, the main place where most of the gold mines in Russia are concentrated is Siberia. The second most important places are located in the Far Eastern region.

On the map of the Russian Federation, most gold mines are concentrated in the central and southern regions of the country. The quantitative indicator of the northeastern artels, located on the outskirts of the country, has only 4 deposits of the yellow precious metal, namely:

1. Kyuchus gold mine.
2. Mayskoye gold deposit.
3. Karalveemskoye field.
4. Mine Dome.

Gold mines geographically located in the center of the country, number in the dozens, among them, for example:

1. Vorontsovsky mine.
2. Blagodatnoe deposit.
3. Olimpiadinskoye field.
4. Eldorado mine.
5. Devil's trough deposit.
6. Mine Sukhoi Log.
7. Verninskoye field.
8. Kuranakh mine.
9. Khakadzhinskoye field.
10. Nezhdaninskoye field.

In the southern region There are also many mines and deposits, which include, for example, the following:

1. Natalka field.
2. Aginsky mine.
3. Baranevsky mine.
4. Mnogovershennoe deposit.
5. Spring mine.
6. Asachi mine.
7. Gai deposit.
8. Vasin mine.
9. Kochkarskoye field.
10. Darasun deposit.
11. Porkovskoye field.

As follows:

Volumes

Indicators of gold production volumes in the regions of the Russian Federation in 2011 looked like this:

Over the past four years the situation has changed somewhat. In the following table we invite you to familiarize yourself with indicators for gold mining in Russian regions for 2013-2014:

In general, if you analyze the indicators for gold mining in Russian regions for 2011, 2013 and 2014, you can see that the overall level of gold mining in Russia remains unchanged. Apparently, this is one of the main reasons for Russia’s increase in the volume of government purchases of the yellow precious metal abroad, which has been observed recently.

Extraction methods

Modern gold mining, usually, carried out by obtaining gold from precious metal ores.

Besides gold mining is also carried out:

1. In placer deposits.
2. By obtaining secondary yellow precious metal in the process of recycling recyclable materials.
3. By developing primary deposits.
4. Using artisanal gold mining methods.

The development of primary deposits is today the main way to obtain the yellow precious metal. Considering the fact that gold, as a rule, is contained in quartz veins of varying thickness and angle of occurrence underground, the development of primary deposits is the most promising and effective method of gold mining.

Artisanal gold mining typically requires complex structures. Today, in many countries, the production of various models of installations has been established, the use of which allows for highly productive extraction of the yellow precious metal. However, the cost of such equipment does not allow it to be purchased by private individuals; its owners, as a rule, are large gold mining companies.

The specifics of each gold mining method determines their prevalence.

For example, one of the widely used gold mining methods, panning, is not particularly popular due to the fact that the peculiarity of its implementation requires a lot of time from the gold miner.

Amalgamation- one of the artisanal methods of gold mining, which is based on the unique ability of mercury to form various compounds with gold. To obtain yellow precious metal in this way, mercury is added to crushed gold ore, after which the resulting mixture is processed in a special way. Amalgamation is in a good way obtaining gold, but expensive, so it is also used very rarely.

The gold amalgamation process works like this:

Technology cyanidation Private gold miners are usually used to obtain gold. To do this, they use hydrocyanic acid or “regia vodka”, the main properties of which are capable of dissolving gold. This method belongs to the main artisanal methods of extracting yellow precious metal.

Cyanidation of gold is carried out, in particular, in laboratory conditions

Video about the possibilities of private gold mining

Private mining

Private gold mining can be based on artisanal methods of extracting the yellow precious metal, the main ones of which were described in the previous section.

However, to implement it, a private gold miner needs to know some aspects government regulation of this activity.

It is important! As a rule, artisanal gold mining is primitive. Volumes extracted in artisanal ways gold - small.

The main issues of mining the yellow precious metal in the Russian Federation are regulated by a single legislative act - the Federal Law “On Precious Metals and Precious Stones”. In accordance with the main provisions of this regulatory legal act, gold mining by individuals (private) is permitted on the territory of the Russian Federation. But, at the same time, the opinion that anyone can start mining gold in Russia when, how and where he wants is erroneous. To carry out private gold mining in Russia, it is necessary, first of all, to purchase the appropriate license for the extraction of the yellow precious metal from the relevant regional state administration.

However, there are some limitations here too, namely:

• An individual can obtain a gold mining license only if he is registered as an individual entrepreneur;
• the validity of such a license will apply only to certain areas earth's surface, Where individual entrepreneur it is allowed to mine yellow precious metal;
• such areas should contain no more than ten kilograms of gold;
• gold mining in the form of individual entrepreneurship can be carried out in accordance with the obtained license for no more than five years.

In general, gold mining is a fairly promising and profitable activity if the investor organizes a specific campaign for the extraction of the yellow precious metal. To do this, you must register in accordance with the procedure established by law as legal entity, choose a place for gold mining, obtain a license to carry out gold mining in a certain region, purchase the appropriate equipment, hire employees (miners and other support personnel) and organize their work.

Investments in gold mining are promising on a large scale.

If you want to carry out private gold mining, then you should not count on receiving significant profits through legal means.