PRACTICAL USE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
09 Jan 05
Nagorni Karabakh is rich in minerals. However, during 70 years of
Soviet rule Azerbaijan had circumspectly tabooed this absolutely
profitable branch for the region and therefore the territory of
Nagorni Karabakh was not duly explored by geologists. Whereas complex
ore especially zinc, lead, copper, pyrites, and iron have been found
here since ancient times. The region of Martakert,the area between the
rivers Tartar and Khachen is reach in base metals. There is copper and
gold, geological parties of other base metals near Drmbon, Gyulatagh,
Kusapat, Vank, as well as Lisagor, Zardanashen, Mets Tagher, there are
deposits of pyrites and other metals near the villages Harutiunagomer,
Vank, Gyulatagh, Kusapat in the region of Martakert. The complex ore
mine near the village Mehmana is especially promising. Taking into
account the important role of the problem in encouraging the economic
development of the country, in particular the development of
metallurgy, after the armistice, in February 1995 the geological
laboratory of the institute of geology of the RA National Academy of
Science was founded in Nagorni Karabakh. In the past decade the
collaborators of the laboratory carried out a series of scientific and
industrial researches in cooperation with specialists from Armenia,
due to which NKR metallurgy is presently developing successfully. The
director of the laboratory Christopher Khachanov, Candidate of
Science, mentioned that in the sphere of exploration of metal ore
mines serious geochemical survey has been carried out especially at
the copper and gold mine of Drmbon (by the way, the thesis for the
degree of candidate of Ch. Khachanov was on the exploration of the
same mine). More thorough exploration was carried out in the depth of
450-600 meters. The potential wings and deeper layers of the mine have
not been explored yet. In several directions of the mine blind ore
bodies have been found. Besides, by the task of the NKR government
scientific exploration has been carried out at the mine deposits of
Mehmana and the adjacent territory. The exploration works have been
summed up in the scientific statements `Geological and Geochemical
Evaluation of the Mine Deposit Gyulatagh – Janiatagh (Mehmana mining
area)’ and ` Geological and Geochemical Evaluation of the Forecast of
Potential Surfacesof the Mehmana Mining Area’. By another task of the
executive the laboratory explored other mine deposits in Shoushi
(copper pyrites of Tas Verst, gold and copper of Mets Shen), Martouni
(gold and copper in Zardanashen), Askeran (gold and copper in Traket)
and other areas. Artsakh is also rich in nonmetal resources,
particularly marble and limestone. Almost all the regions of the
republic are rich in different kinds of limestone which is widely
produced and used in building. There is pink tuff in the village Vank,
Martouni region (the tuffof this quarry was used for building the
monastery of Gandzasar), felsite tuff nearthe village Chldran. There
is a diabase quarry near the village Khachen, Askeran region. The
republic is rich in basalt, granite, andesite, limestone, etc. Of
great interests is Icelandic spar (Myurishen, Tsakuri, Sarghisashen),
plaster, barite (Tonashen), etc. The major part of the mentioned areas
is presently explored by the NKR geological laboratory. The pits of
Icelandic spar, plaster and clay have been better explored. These
studies have been summed up in the scientific statement `Regularities
and Potentials of Geology, the Origin of the Chemical Composition of
the Icelandic Spar in Jurassic sediments and clay, plaster in Pliocene
– Quaternary Sediments’. As to carbohydrates, the director of the
laboratory said this mineral exists near the villages Maghavuz,
Nareshtar and Kolatak. In 1996 the NKR government undertook geological
survey of the Maghavuz pit. The exploration was summed up in the
statement `Potentials of Production of the Maghavuz Coal Pit’. We were
interested if there are oil and gas deposits in the republic.
Christopher Khachanov said that works are done in this direction and
the preliminary findings are hopeful. He mentioned that the laboratory
did not forget about mineral waters of Artsakh. The mineral waters of
Shrlan, Ttu Jur (Lisagor) were bottled until the collapse of the USSR.
According to the director of the geological laboratory, production of
mineral waters in the two areas can be restored. At the end I want to
add that besides the enumerated minerals in the territory of the
republic there are deposits of agate, onyx, and other semiprecious
stones which are of practical interest for the country’s economy, and
which need exploration.
NIKOLAY BAGHDASSARIAN.
09-01-2005