en.Wedoany.com Reported - In mid-July 2026, the Russian Federal Agency for Subsoil Use (Rosnedra) updated the list of blocks designated for geological research, adding the "Soukhusan" (Соухусан) iron ore block located in the Yeravninsky District of the Republic of Buryatia. This block has forecast resources (P1 category) of 67 million tons of iron ore and prospective resources (P2 category) of 180 million tons.

The Russian Federal Agency for Subsoil Use (Rosnedra) is a federal executive body under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, responsible for policy formulation and implementation in state subsoil management, including the issuance and supervision of mineral exploration and extraction licenses. The newly added Soukhusan iron ore block belongs to the Yeravninsky mining area, located in the Yeravninsky District of the Republic of Buryatia, approximately 4.5 kilometers southwest of the operating Ozernoye (Озерное) lead-zinc polymetallic deposit. The Ozernoye deposit is one of the world's largest zinc mines, with an annual ore processing capacity of 6 million tons.

At the end of 2025, Rosnedra approved the "Plan for Regional Geological Exploration Work for 2026 and the Planning Period of 2027-2028," which is to be implemented using federal budget funds and funds from subsoil users' own or attracted resources. According to the plan, between 2026 and 2028, Rosnedra will conduct geochemical exploration work in this block. In addition to the Soukhusan iron ore block, the newly added blocks include the "Polygon 3" (Полигон 3) technogenic tin, lead, zinc, and copper mining area in the Kavalerovsky District of Primorsky Krai, and the "Beregovoy" (Береговой) coal forecast block in the Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky District of Sakhalin Oblast.

The discovery and assessment of the Soukhusan iron ore block will provide a new raw material base for the ferrous metal industry in Russia's Far East. Located adjacent to the Ozernoye deposit, this block can leverage existing infrastructure to reduce development costs. Rosnedra stated that it will continue to advance the selection and release of geological research blocks to promote the expansion and sustainable development of Russia's mineral resource base.