OREANDA-NEWS. On 24 April 2009 was announced, that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection has announced a tender for the development of the iron ore deposit Novoselkovskoe in the Korelichi District of the Grodno Region.

 “The objective of the tender is the selection of an investor for the geological survey and development of the ore deposit Novoselkovskoe, having all necessary financial resources and experience in developing mineral resources, and submitting the best investment offer to meet the requirements specified by the project terms and conditions of the concession contract,” reads the official invitation posted on the website.

“The main tendering conditions are:

- the construction of an enterprise with a capacity of not less than 4 million tonnes per year to develop the deposit, and the completion of the project within not less than a 7-year period from the date of the signing of the concession contract;

the construction of an ore mining and processing enterprise and production of metallized pellets within the period of no less than seven years from the sighing of the concession contract;

- the transfer of production by the concessionaire to the State with a volume of no less than 15 (fifteen) per cent out of the total amount of the finished product of each type.”

“Tenderers execute a tender accompanied by a questionnaire, a copy of the payment of a tender fee and other documents in line with the List specified by Article 16 of the Regulations on the Tender Committee for the selection of concessionaires to develop mineral deposits, incorporated into the List of projects and offered for concession, approved by Decree #44 of 28 January, 2008 by the President of the Republic of Belarus. The Regulations on the Tender Committee is put on the site of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus at the address: http://minpriroda.by,” reads the document.

Fees for bidding are equivalent to U.S. USD 5,000 at the official rate of the National Bank of Belarus on the date of payment and are transferred to the national budget.

“Tenderers are provided with a notice of the tender registration together with tender documentation which includes exploration works documentation, necessary for preparing an investment offer and draft main terms and conditions of the concession contract. Investment proposals are submitted by tenderers via post or courier and registered by the Secretary of the Tender Committee in the log. Investment proposals are accepted only in sealed envelopes,” the invitation reads.

“The deposit Novoselkovskoe is located 2 kilometers to the south-west of the village of Novoselki, 7-8 kilometers away from the township of Korelichi. The preliminary exploration at the deposit was completed in 2008. The mineral resources are presented by vanadium-containing ilmenite magnetite ores. Preliminarily explored ore resources come to 130 million tonnes with the total iron content of 25%-31%, and that of magnetite iron makes up 15%-20%. The hydrogeological conditions of the deposit are complicated. Due to the mining and geological features and according to the findings of a preliminary survey the recommended mine depth is 700 meters with an annual production of 4 million tonnes,” the statement reads.