ArmInfo."Lydian Armenia" company informs that on July 24 the company started inventory work.
According to the source, the company assumed a possible robbery, since the roads to the Amulsar mine were blocked and some people could visit the mine without the knowledge of the company's management. This happened while the members of "Lydian Armenia" company could not pass through the territory of the mine.
As soon as the inventory work began, traces of the alleged theft and several obvious facts of vandalism were established. The property of the Lydian company worth several hundred million dollars is located on the territory of the Amulsar mine, as well as building materials worth several tens of millions of dollars. There are several places on the territory of the mine where construction work was not completed, this area was subjected to robbery and vandalism.
"For two years, this apparent illegal activity to block the mine took place on the territory of the country's largest investor, in fact, with the permission of law enforcement agencies. Based on the results of the inventory of the property, a corresponding message will be sent to the law enforcement agencies of Armenia," the statement reads.
Lydian Armenia is a subsidiary of the British offshore company Lydian International. The total cost of the Amulsar project is $ 370 million. The life of the deposit is 10 years and 4 months, while it is planned to extract an average of 200 thousand ounces of gold annually. The field is the second largest one in Armenia. According to the company, the deposit contains about 73,733 kg of gold with an average grade of 0.78 g per tonne, and 294.367 tonnes of silver with an average grade of 9.29 grams per tonne. It is located in the south-east of the country, 13 km from the resort town of Jermuk, between the rivers Arpa and Vorotan.
Environmentalists and ordinary citizens are concerned that the operation of the mine may lead to the pollution of the mineral groundwater in Jermuk and Lake Sevan. In addition to the water basin, the public is also concerned about the possible presence of uranium reserves at the deposit.
Since the end of 2018, the mine has been blocked by environmental activists. Construction work on it had to be suspended.