With the discovery of some PGM deposits and occurrences in Karelia in the past few years, Karelia has become a new PGM province in Northwest Russia.
At the present time the most prospective types of platinoid mineralization are low-sulphide deposits in layered intrusions and massives (Burakovian type, Olanga group of intrusions in North Karelia) that contain 1.52 to 20 g/t of platinoids and occur in sulphides. In this type of mineralization palladium dominates over platinum. A platiniferous chromite ore formation, restricted to the main chromitic horizon, has been revealed in
the Burakovian massif. Its platinoid content is as high as 1.00–3.00 g/t and platinumrutenium-osmium-iridium specialization is characteristic. A platiniferous titanomagnetitic
formation with vanadium is confined to the Pudozhgora and Koikary-Svyatnavolok
titanomagnetite deposits. Platinoid and gold mineralization is associated with sulphides in titanomagnetite ores. Their content is as high as 1.0–2.0 g/t. A platinum-base metal ore formation in carbonaceous shales and their metasomatic rocks depends on whether
complex uranium-vanadium ore deposits with noble-metal specialization are restricted to it. A stratiform sulphide type, which also hosts noble-metal (platinum and gold) mineralization,
is present there as well.
At the present time forecasting-and-prospecting and prospecting-and-appraisal for platinum and gold are being conducted in the Burakovian massif and in layered intrusions of North Karelia. Complex economic appraisal of the Pudozhgora deposit is now in progress. The mining of prospective complex deposits with PGM mineralization will undoubtedly contribute to the development of the mining industry not only in Karelia but
in the whole Northwestern region.