Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Plant is the largest enterprise in Russia in its industry. This year the company celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Kursk magnetic anomaly
The Lebedinsky mining and processing plant is the largest industrial enterprise in Russia and the basis for the economic development of the Belgorod region. GOK’s activities are aimed at developing the resources of the world's most powerful iron ore basin, the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly. According to explored reserves, KMA has ore deposits of about 30 billion tons, the area covers the territory of three regions, which is more than 160 thousand kilometers.
By the amount of mineral reserves, the Kursk magnetic anomaly contains about 50% of all iron ore deposits on Earth. It was opened in 1931. Development is conducted by open and underground methods.
Developed deposits:
- Lebedinsky, career development. Located in the Belgorod region, development is conducted by the Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Plant (LGOK), and is part of the Metalloinvest group.
- Mikhailovskoye, an open method of ore mining is used. It is located in the Kursk region, the development is carried out by Mikhailovsky GOK (Metalloinvest industrial group).
- Stoilenskoye (Belgorod Region), is being developed by the Stoilensky GOK (part of the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant). Mining is carried out in a quarry way.
- Korobkovskoye field is being developed by underground mining. Located in the Gubkinsky district of the Belgorod region.
- Smaller deposits - Pogrometskoe, Bolsheroroitskoe, Yakovlevskoe, Novoyaltinskoe.
The largest enterprise of the galaxy of GOKs of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly is JSC Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Plant.
Milestones in Enterprise History
In July 1967, a Decree of the Government of the USSR laid the foundation for the development of the Lebedinsky deposit in the Belgorod Region and the construction of a mining and processing plant.
Four years later, in 1971, the quartzite quarry of the field began to function. The following year, the Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Plant (GOK) produced the first batch of finished products, which became iron ore concentrate.
In 1975, GOK grew with new capacities - a pelletizing factory was commissioned. New types of products are being mastered at the enterprise, and facilities are being modernized. After 10 years, in 1985, the plant began producing concentrate with a record (over 70%) iron content.
During the change of economic relations, in 1992, the mining and processing enterprise received a new status through the privatization procedure and became known as OJSC Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Plant. Since 2006, the company came under the control of the holding LLC UK Metalloinvest.
Main products
Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Plant is a diversified enterprise of the metallurgical industry of Russia.
The main types of products:
- Concentrate with the content of the main element up to 69.5% (over the years of operation more than 480 million tons have been produced).
- Concentrate with a content of the main element of more than 69.5% (gross output for all time - 80.3 million tons).
- Unfluxed pellets with metallization of less than 66.5%.
- Fluxed pellets, where the proportion of the main element exceeds 66.5%.
- Hot briquetting iron (metallization up to 90%).
- Hot briquetted iron with metallization of more than 92%.
Additional features
In addition to the main products, the enterprise produces building materials obtained from the waste of enrichment shops and overburden.
The company sells related products:
- Quaternary loams (scope of use - reclamation of tailings, quarries, etc.)
- Sand (shipped for enterprises for the production of floor blocks, silicate brick, in foundry, etc.).
- Chalk (sent to the chalk factory for enrichment and further use in the production processes of paper, chemical, food, perfumery industries, etc.).
- Rock shale rocks, quartzite-sandstones (used in the production of crushed stone for roadwork, the manufacture of decorative stone, etc.).
The projected reserves of the Lebedinsky deposit are estimated at 11 billion tons of ferruginous quartzite, which, according to experts, guarantees the utilization of all GOK capacities for the next 250 years or more.
Production processes
According to its qualitative characteristics, the raw materials used by GOK (a high mass fraction of the iron content in quartzites, a small amount of related impurities) are one of the best in the world. Thanks to this fact, Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Plant produces the best products for the metallurgical industry in Europe.
The technological process is divided into stages:
- Quarry mining of ferruginous quartzites.
- Transportation of minerals to an enrichment plant, overburden dump.
- Production process - crushing, grinding and sorting of raw materials, concentrate enrichment (up to 69.5%) and partial shipment of goods received. The second part of the concentrate is sent to two production lines - partly for re-enrichment, partly to the pelletizing factory.
- Re-enrichment of the concentrate to a mass fraction of iron of more than 69.5% (the final product is used in direct reduction of iron).
- Production of unfluxed pellets with a mass content of iron up to 69.5% for blast furnaces. The production of fluxed pellets with metallization of more than 69.5% for further use in the production of hot briquetted iron (HBI).
- HBI production with metallization up to 90% and more than 90%.
Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Plant is a leader in the production of raw materials for the metallurgical industry in the domestic and foreign markets. About 21% of the domestic demand of the Russian iron ore market is covered by the products of Lebedinsky GOK
Structure
The Lebedinsky Ore Mining and Processing Enterprise is known worldwide for the quality of its products and is noted in the Guinness Book of Records for the world's largest non-combustible minerals quarry and as an enterprise developing the largest field by reserves. The characteristics of the quarry are really amazing - according to confirmed data, mineral reserves are almost 4 billion tons, the depth of the quarry reaches 450 meters, and the diameter, to date, is almost 5 kilometers with a tendency of constant expansion.
The structure of the industrial complex includes workshops:
- Mountain.
- Explosive.
- Metrology.
- Motor transport.
- Concentrating.
- Pellets and firing.
- HBI, UTK.
- Crushing, energy workshop.
- Crane, drilling.
- Electric locomotive repairing tracks.
A separate unit is a laboratory complex; the main control structure is the Central Plant Laboratory. The purpose of her work is to control the quality of incoming raw materials from the quarry, manufactured products, fuels and lubricants.
In addition, the following laboratories operate:
- Ecological.
- Medical technology.
- Chemical.
- Rounding off.
- Fuels and lubricants.
Environmental activities
Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Plant is a leader in the implementation of modern technologies in all areas of production activity. An important part of the company’s policy is environmental protection, for which the “Environmental Safety Concept” was introduced.
Today, the place where the Lebedinsky mining and processing plant is located demonstrates environmental neutrality due to the careful attitude to nature. The company operates a general system for monitoring the state of the environment, a certification procedure is being carried out and an assessment is made of the status of pollution sources affecting the state of air, water resources, production waste, and working conditions.
Recycling water is used at the concentrator , and dust filters are installed in the pellet kilns. When preparing construction sites, the upper layer of black soil is removed and partially applied on depleted lands, partially stored. Spent production areas and tailings are subjected to sanitary and hygienic reclamation.
The Lebedinsky Ore Mining and Processing Plant annually holds more than 1 thousand activities aimed at protecting the environment, which include the arrangement and maintenance of the sanitary protection zone of the plant, monitoring the environmental regime of all technological processes, changing obsolete technological equipment to newer and much more.
Environmental Protection Implementation Results
Annual investments in environmental protection amount to more than 400 million rubles. The staff of the enterprise maintains and renews green spaces, planted more than 25 thousand trees and shrubs, sowed more than 3.5 tons of perennial grass.
According to studies conducted by leading Russian institutes, over the past 10 years of work at the plant, a balance of disturbed and restored lands has been achieved. It is noted that the drinking water used in the units of the enterprise complies with generally accepted sanitary and hygienic standards; extreme gas contamination and dustiness of the air are not recorded.
It is also noted that in the zone of technical influence of the mining and processing enterprise there is no soil pollution with heavy metals, and water vapor, an insignificant amount of carbon oxides, nitrogen and oxygen enter the air.
Reviews
In July 2017, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary. The launch of the third stage of the HBI plant (hot briquetting of iron) was timed to coincide with this event. Investments in the project amounted to more than 600 million dollars. The capacity of the new line is designed to produce 1.8 million tons of briquettes per year, the launch created 400 new jobs, which further enlarged the Lebedinsky mining and processing plant.
Employee reviews noted the negative aspects of the work - low wages, high requirements of the authorities at different levels, difficulties in making decisions and mutual responsibility. It is indicated that at the plant attention to safety is high, but little backed up by the necessary conditions.
To comply with all standards, appropriate equipment, tools, time, responsible behavior of all participants in the production process and an appropriate level of knowledge are required. In fact, all resources are very limited, but high fines have been introduced, which are regularly levied due to the inability to fulfill all conditions.
Many former employees claim that the factory also pays high salaries, but acquiring a place of employment requires acquaintance and patronage, which most staff do not have. The social sphere is also negatively evaluated. In case of illness, it is necessary to contact only the factory polyclinic, and there they try to avoid making a diagnosis, preferring to reduce all treatment to taking vitamins. Turning to city clinics is fraught with big trouble.
From the positive aspects, the opportunity to gain experience in an enterprise of this magnitude was highlighted. Many people liked the process of modernization, the opportunity to study all technological cycles. The vast majority of employees recommend not staying in the company, but having received the necessary knowledge, seek them application in other places.
Address
The company LLC UK Metalloinvest is a management organization that includes the Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Plant.
The address of the production site is the city of Gubkin, Belgorod Region, the industrial site of LGOK.