National Industry

[Vrej1915]

Re: National Industry

Re: Elections in Armenia
Originally Posted by Artashes
Also you ( Vrej ) mention bentonite and it's use as a lubricant in the drilling process . Interesting .
I used to sail on a 220 ft offshore supply boat taking supplies to an offshore oil rig . One of the main supplies we would take to the oil rig was pallets loaded with sacks of beyroid (sp?) , which is the drilling mud , which is used to lubricate the drilling head and also the specific gravity of beyroid can be manipulated so that it can be made very heavy to stop up flow or contain fluctuating pressures .
I wonder if bentonite is what beyroid is produced from .
I cannot believe there could be a substantial copper or gold deposit and not have the related precious and simi precious stones . Would probably almost impossible or extremely unlikely not to have rocks around .
Artashes
Messed up -- this was supposed to be posted in national thread by Vrej , sorry
Artashes

[Vrej1915]

Re: National Industry

Artashes,
I can not say if there is a link between Bentonite and the product you mention.

Concerning semi-precious gems, what you presume must be true.
But once again, I am not a geologist.
I know, that in soviet times we had a rather correct geology museum, somewhere near republic square.
During war years, it was still operating, but nearly out of funds.
I heard an Artsakh specialist, who served as minister in last soviet cabinet, was promising to open a new or more modern one, or something like that.
This needs to be checked.
Anyway, in that soviet era museum, you had hundreds of semi precious stones referenced, from small Armenian SSR.
Now you must add the NKR, wich gives you 50% increase of territory.
The Mrav chain is specially rich in rare metals.

[Artashes]

Re: National Industry

Also , somewhere it has been mentioned about concern of cyanide contamination in our water system and ground .
Cyanide ( and mercury ) are used in gold processing .
In the US ( the richest country in the world ) mismanagement of cyanide & mercury containment in the mining industry is a constant occurrence .
As Vrej stated --- if high tech resourceful America does not show the appropriate concern for these toxic substances , then a high likelihood that Armenia is doing no better .
Unless the Hay govt & people institute a very strong mining watchdog office , the land and water can be virtually irretrievably contaminated .
An extreme and timely addressing of this is in order .
Artashes

[Vrej1915]

Re: National Industry

Also , somewhere it has been mentioned about concern of cyanide contamination in our water system and ground .
Cyanide ( and mercury ) are used in gold processing .
In the US ( the richest country in the world ) mismanagement of cyanide & mercury containment in the mining industry is a constant occurrence .
As Vrej stated --- if high tech resourceful America does not show the appropriate concern for these toxic substances , then a high likelihood that Armenia is doing no better .
Unless the Hay govt & people institute a very strong mining watchdog office , the land and water can be virtually irretrievably contaminated .
An extreme and timely addressing of this is in order .
Artashes

Clean mining industry, is not even ambitionned by the most unrealist of the enviromentalists in Armenia.

Mining is very polluting, and that's a fact.

A small economy like ours, can not afford to abandon the sector, as is the case in most of western Europe, that's a fact too.

The 3 main questions that do pose problems are:
1 - The law on Sevan, imposes no contaminating mining in all the water bassin of the lake ( that is most of Kegharkunik Marz, Ketchud valley (Arpa), Yeghekis valley's upper stream( to the entry into the Arpa-Sevan tunnel), and the territory arround Spantaryan lake (upper Vorotan). Reason why, since soviet times, the Gold factory of Sotk mine was built in Ararat city, and a long rail link built....: can we just respect that basic principle? Avoid polluting Sevan, our strategic water reservoir, for our futur generations?
2 - Can't the state get more realistic benefits from the unconsidered plunder of its underground mineral reserves, than the symbolic amounts it gets today? (That is slightly less for the oligarks, and overseas, off-shore companies?)
3- Can't we afford, relatively affordable, cleaner technologies, in mining industry, from the 4-th world technologies in use now? Can't we impose a ban on open pit mines, at least on new mines? etc...

[Artashes]

Re: National Industry

Clean mining industry, is not even ambitionned by the most unrealist of the enviromentalists in Armenia.

Mining is very polluting, and that's a fact.

A small economy like ours, can not afford to abandon the sector, as is the case in most of western Europe, that's a fact too.

The 3 main questions that do pose problems are:
1 - The law on Sevan, imposes no contaminating mining in all the water bassin of the lake ( that is most of Kegharkunik Marz, Ketchud valley (Arpa), Yeghekis valley's upper stream( to the entry into the Arpa-Sevan tunnel), and the territory arround Spantaryan lake (upper Vorotan). Reason why, since soviet times, the Gold factory of Sotk mine was built in Ararat city, and a long rail link built....: can we just respect that basic principle? Avoid polluting Sevan, our strategic water reservoir, for our futur generations?
2 - Can't the state get more realistic benefits from the unconsidered plunder of its underground mineral reserves, than the symbolic amounts it gets today? (That is slightly less for the oligarks, and overseas, off-shore companies?)
3- Can't we afford, relatively affordable, cleaner technologies, in mining industry, from the 4-th world technologies in use now? Can't we impose a ban on open pit mines, at least on new mines? etc...

Everything you say rings true . This of course is dismaying , at least .
The identicle thing is taking place up here in Alaska . They --- always --- promise you they will do it correctly and be invironement conscious . And then --- try to find a mining site that isn't toxic !!!
So you are telling us that the land and waters are in jeopardy now of possible extreme danger , correct ?
Please , go to --- any --- major water way in America , and do a simple h2o analysis .
I told the natives up here they should have never sold the red dog mine ( as well as others ) to corporate interests , but should have developed it themselves , even if it took them a generation to acquire the education . They got robbed blind .
What a shame
Art ashes
Thanks for technical help .

[Vrej1915]

Re: National Industry

I would propose 2 measures, that I think are more than fair, for our mining industry (non-ferrous mettals, not stone mines):

1- Impose, to all mine owners, the necessity to end up with pure metal bars.
That is, ban the export of concentrate in a maximum of 3 years dead-line.
This period seems largely reasonable, to the installation of the necessary industrial lines/technologies. Mine owners all over the country can collaborate to the installation of one melter of each metal to share costs... for example in Gyumri or surrounding non forrest covered zones, half way between the 2 major mining zones (Lori & Zankezur). If the owners can not realize this, than let them close the mines.
You will see if they will end up with the installation in couple of semesters, when threatened with closure...
It's been 20 years they are plundering, with massive tax evasion, since most of the value of the metal is declared mainly in Germany, when the product is turned from "concentrate" (90-95%), to "pure" metal... (all the pollution for us, all the money for a couple of Oligarks, and mostly for Germans)
I think after 20 years, it is all but fair, to ask them to put melters for Gold, Silver, Copper, Molybden, at least these 4 major metals.
The dozen of Copper mines, the 3-4 major Gold mines, etc... can afford to do this.

2- My not so wild guess, is that the mining industry has a profitability ratio of at least 50% in Armenia, even after what they 'pay' as taxes and social contributions.... Impose, by a new law, a special and very fair tax: 10% of the metal produced, must be transferred to state treasury, as metal (Gold, Silver, copper...bars) before export. Exemption to all volumes transformed domestically...
This will not create huge amounts, but at the end of the year, we may well have 3-400 kilograms of Gold, 10 tons of copper, etc.... accumulated in the central bank's reserves...
And may be, some industrials will finally decide to begin transformation of metal into semi-finished, or finished products, in place of exporting undervalued concentrate, we may end exporting copper cables, tubes, etc...

I think this is more than fair.
A rich country like Germany won't be harmed, by the loss of a "couple" of industrial cycles, on our raw material's transformation...
Our oligarks will have slightly less "super" revenues (KerShahuyt), but will still be very, very rich...
We would get something much more worthy, for all the environmental damage supported, than the couple of thousand miserable salaries and the social contributions.... (cost of the best payed Armenian minor, risking his health and sometimes life is less than 500 USD/month)

[Vrej1915]

Re: National Industry

Ալավերդու պղնձաձուլարանի ծխատարում վթար է տեղի ունեցել
Երկուշաբթի, 01 Ապրիլի 2013,


Մարտի 31-ին ժամը 18:30-ի սահմաններում, «Վալլեքս» խմբի ընկերությունների մեջ մտնող «Արմենիան Քափըր Փրոգրամ» ընկերությանը պատկանող Ալավերդու պղնձաձուլական գործարանի մետալուրգիական արտադրամասից հազիվ 100 մետր վերև, դեպի Կոշաբերդ բարձրացող ծխատարում վթար էր տեղի ունեցել: Այս մասին գրում է hetq.am-ը:
Ծխատարի որոշ հատված փլվել էր, ինչի պատճառով մետալուրգիական արտադրամասի արտանետումները ամբողջությամբ չէին հասնում Կոշաբերդի գագաթի ծխնելույզին և ինչպես ծխատարի քանդված հատվածից, այնպես էլ գործարանի մետալուրգիական արտադրամասից մեծ քանակությամբ ծուխ էր ժայթքում: Գազն արագությամբ տարածվեց Ալավերդու Մադան, Զորավար Ադրանիկի, Թումանյան փողոցի, գործարանի սանիտարական գոտում գտնվող բնակելի շենքերի և այլ թաղամասերի վրա: Շնչելը անհնարին էր դարձել գործարանի հարևանությամբ գտնվող ճոպանուղու`քաղաքի ներքևի հատվածի կայանում:
Լուսանկարը՝ hetq.am-ի

[Vrej1915]

Re: National Industry

Դժբախտ պատահար Թեղուտում. մահացել է 24-ամյա բանվորը
Հինգշաբթի, 28 Մարտի 2013,


Մարտի 22-ին՝ ժամը 20-ի սահմաններում, «Թեղուտ» ՓԲԸ-ի կառուցվող լեռնահարստացման ֆաբրիկայի մետաղական կոնստրուկցիաները մոնտաժելու ժամանակ, մանրացման տեղամասում 24- ամյա բանվոր Սեյրան Առաքելյանը վերամբարձ կռունկի զամբյուղի հետ 34 մետր բարձրությունից վայր է ընկել և տեղում մահացել: Այս մասին գրում է hetq.am-ը: Սեյրան Առաքելյանը Երևանի բնակիչ էր, նրա հուղարկավորությունը տեղի է ունեցել մարտի 26-ին` Երևանում: Սեյրանը «Թեղուտ» ՓԲԸ-ում աշխատում էր որպես կապալառու ներգրավված `Երևանի մետաղական կոնստրուկցիաների գործարանի բրիգադում:
«Իրենք մեզ մոտ աշխատում են պայմանագրային հիմունքներով, մոնտաժման աշխատանքներ են իրականացնում, աշխատանքների անվտանգության ամբողջ պատասխանատվությունը իրենց վրա է դրված, մենք բրիգադին տարածք ենք հատկացրել, իրենք աշխատել են»,-ասաց «Թեղուտ» ՓԲԸ-ի վարչության անդամ Ռուբեն Պապոյանը:
Մահվան իրավիճկային վերլուծությունը պարզել է, որ աշխատանքի պահին զոհված Սեյրան Առաքելյանի աշխատանքային անվտանգությունը չի ապահովվել:

[Vrej1915]

Re: National Industry

http://www.lragir.am/index.php/arm/0/infograph/view/80801

Very interesting statistical data, on the mining industry of Armenian Republic, until 2011.
NB: NKR is not included, notably important share in copper, gold, and coal mining.

[Vrej1915]

Re: National Industry

‘Robotics Starts From School’: New initiative set to develop ‘engineering thinking’ among students


The Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE), in cooperation with VivaCell-MTS, Cronimet Charity Foundation, World Vision Armenia and Counterpart International Armenia, plan to set up robotics groups in 50 Armenian schools.

Enlarge Photo


The aim of this initiative is to raise interest among pupils towards robotics, develop their engineering thinking, as well as to prepare potential students for studying in technical universities.

“Year by year the number of students interested in robotics and eager to participate in robotics competitions increases, and they, by the way, have great success during the competitions.” In order to promote developments the Union has designed a robot set for the study groups. Currently it is planned to carry out pilot project within the frames of which 50 Armenian schools will be provided relevant sets of educational robots”, said UITE Executive Director Karen Vardanyan at a press conference on Wednesday.

“The development of robotics is one of the prospects of strengthening competitiveness in our country,” said VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.

“VivaCell-MTS supports by all possible means the initiatives meant for the development of the field. The enthusiasm, interest, students’ own demand to learn new things make schools an ideal environment for establishing a sound basis for robotics field in Armenia. Certainly, many students would wish to be specialized particularly in the robotics filed as an essential area, thus becoming carriers of advantages for competitiveness in the word,” he said, adding: “The development of robotics will distinctly reduce the ‘brain outflow’”.

The courses for school groups will start next September. Within the framework of this project it is envisaged to train the teaching staff from respective schools in June-July. The programming of educational robots will be implemented through Labview, Microsoft robotics studio programmes.

Today there are robotics groups in several schools of Yerevan as well as in some provincial towns.