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Diamond exploration due at four fields in Russia's Arctic

Currently, five companies are prospecting the region’s 14 areas in search for new diamond deposits

© Vladimir Smirnov/TASS

ARKHANGELSK, March 20. /TASS/. Geological exploration will be organized at four fields in the Arkhangelsk Region in 2018. Exploring companies will undertake all the expenses, press service of the regional Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry told TASS on Tuesday.

"We have four new areas for diamond exploration: Yuzhno-Verkhotinsky, Razlomnyi, Torfyanoy, and Chernoozerskiy-1," the press service said. "They all are in the Mezensky district, on the so-called Winter shore of the White Sea."

Read also

Russia's Arctic: The only place in Europe where one can find diamonds

"The companies, which will conduct exploration, will be investing own money, not involving the budget," the press service added.

Currently, five companies are prospecting the region’s 14 areas in search for new diamond deposits.

Two fields in the Arkhangelsk Region produce diamonds: the field named after Lomonosov in the Maritime district, and the field named after Grib in the Mezensky district - 100 and 130 km from Arkhangelsk respectively. In 2017, the region reported 7.5 million carats, and the producing companies paid to the regional budget more than 3.6 billion rubles ($63 million) in taxes.

The Arkhangelsk Region will receive from the federal government 410 million rubles ($7 million) for exploring new diamond deposits in the region between 2020 and 2022.

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