Chuktukon deposit of the niobium-rare earth ores is the top priority asset for modernization of the rare metal industry of Russia

Chuktukon deposit of the niobium-rare earth ores represents the mineral body, which due to its qualitative and quantitative properties may become a key asset for modernization of the rare metal industry of Russia. The deposit belongs to the ore-formational type of the rare metal crusts of the carbonatite weathering. Ore zone of the deposit represents a thick blanket-like body having the length of 3.5 km at the width from 800 to 1400 m and the thickness of up to 200 m. Two types of ores were identified: the niobium ores (at the cut-off grade of Nb2О5 - 0.8 %) and the rare earth ones (at the cutoff grade of the rare earth metals - 3.0 %). Mineral composition of the ores: goethite, hydrogoethite, hematite, psilomelane, pyrolusite, barium-pyrochlore, strontium-pyrochlore, cerium-pyrochlore, pyrochlore, florencite, monazite, cerianite. The best treatment option is the pyro-hydrometallurgical ore-processing scheme providing for the recovery of niobium, rare earth, manganese, phosphorus, vanadium, iron commodity at different stages of the processing. Reserves of the rare earth ores, approved by the State Committee for Reserves (GKZ) of the Russian Federation amount to: 6639 kt (С2 category), niobium pentoxide -39.8 kt (at the grade of 0.6 %), rare earth oxides - 486 kt (at the grade of 7.3 %). Establishment of the rare earth industry center in the Krasnoyarsk Region has the following competitive advantages: availability of the strategic raw material base required for the high technology - deposits of niobium and rare earth metals, availability of the scientific and production facilities able to perform geological and process studies (Siberian Federal University, Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, exploration companies, Krasnoyarsk), production facilities treating the slightly-radioactive concentrate (Integrated Mining and Chemical Plant, Zheleznogorsk). Calculations of the technical-and-economic highlights of the Chuktukon deposits developments demonstrate high efficiency of the project with the valuation horizon of 10 years. Basic technical-and-economic highlights of the project for the niobium (rare earth) ores: net present value - 33 (22) billion rubles, budgetary efficiency - 35(25) billion rubles, volume of investments - 91(65) billion rubles. Implementation of the Chuktukon mega-project will allow Russia to modernize its rare metal industry and occupy the leading position on the world market of rare metals.