Promising lead and zinc ore districts in the Arctic zone of Russia

Based on the research carried out on the territory of the Arctic zone of Russia the authors have identified ore districts that are promising for the discovery and development of Pb-Zn deposits, among which only one large Pavlovskoe deposit (Novaya Zemlya Archipelago) is at the development stage. More than 20 facilities are dispersed in the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, Taimyr, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Chukotka Autonomous Area. They outline that most of the ore districts are located in the 100-km zone of economic accessibility (high priority of mineral resources development) to the Northern Sea Route. Within the three-ore districts, it is possible to form new mining clusters, including several nearby deposits. The authors indicate prospects for the discovery of new deposits as well as challenges in the development of the mineral resource base of the considered ore regions: lack of infrastructure, arctic climate, remoteness, and the need for a large volume of geological exploration.