Eastern Siberia's heart of gold

8 Dec, 2007 08:48 / Updated 16 years ago

Geologists in Eastern Siberia have struck gold after a search lasting two years. The region around Magadan is rich in the precious metal, and specialists there have been using new techniques to find it.

Specialists are delighted at their latest find.  Geological Company Director Aleksandr Alekseenko says three of the five pits they explored tested positive for gold.  “Gold is located at different depths. It is a serious discovery and it raises the potential of the pit,” Alekseenko said. They say It's too early to tell how big the reserves there are. They've sent samples to the laboratory for analysis. Tests will show the amount of gold per tonne. Exploration in the area is continuing. Next year several new mines will be sunk. The Magadan region in the North East is one of Russia’s most remote places. It has a long history of gold mining. This year geological exploration there reached a new level. Work will continue, even during Magadan's harsh winter.