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NAS Institute Of Microbiology Develops New Biometallurgical Method O

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  • NAS Institute Of Microbiology Develops New Biometallurgical Method O

    NAS INSTITUTE OF MICROBIOLOGY DEVELOPS NEW BIOMETALLURGICAL METHOD OF GOLD PRODUCTION

    Noyan Tapan
    Oct 31 2006

    YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, NOYAN TAPAN. A group of scientists of the
    Mineral Microbiology Laboratory of the Institute of Microbiology of
    the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is developing a new integrated
    biometallurgical method of gold production. The laboratory head Narine
    Vardanian stated this. According to her, new isolated active strains
    of chemolithotrophic bacteria will be used for gold containibg pyrite
    ores processing, which may allow to increase the gold recovery degree
    up to 95%. To recap, the indicated group of scientists received a 5
    thousand-dollar award under the Science and Technology Entreprenuership
    Program (STEP) implemented by the Enterprise Incubator Foundation
    (EIF) jointly with the Civilian Research and Development Foundation
    (SRDF). The scientists plan to spend this money to obtain strains of
    bacteria resistant to extremal conditions and test them in the Tandzut
    gold mine owned by Vallex Mining company, after which it is envisaged
    to made a proposal to this company to use the biometallurgical
    method of gold production. N. Vardanian said that gold reserves in
    Armenia are estimated at 500 tons. In the 1980s, gold extraction
    in the country made two tons a year, in the 1990s this amount was
    reduced significantly, while in the past few years it made about a
    ton annually.

    According to her, in 2005, 2,518 tons of gold was extracted in the
    world: this index is half the average annual amount in the 1980s. The
    stock exchange price of an ounce (28.3 grams) of gold currently makes
    about 590 dollars, exceeeding twofold its price in the 1980s.
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