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TIDBITS OF INFO- RUSSIAMARCH 25 1922 ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL VoL. 113, No. 12
Prospecting for Gold Illegal on East Siberian Coast
Special License Necessary—Large Area, Legally Held, Already Located or Patented—No Concessions Exist
American prospectors, or others, contemplating going to the east Siberian coast, for the purpose of prospecting for gold, or operating gold placer claims, should bear in mind that since 1900, a law has been in existence which does not permit foreigners, or even Russians, except under a special license, to prospect for gold, locate mining claims, or carry on mining operations, within sixty-seven miles from the coast. The prohibited zone is an area roughly 6,000 miles in length, and of the width above stated, bounded on its eastern side by the sea, and on its western side by an imaginary line, parallel to the contour of the coast line, and extending from the border of Korea, on the south, to the Bering Strait on the north.
Care should be taken therefore that this law is not infringed by those considering prospective gold mining in the coast region. The leasing or purchase of existing mines, or mineral properties from owners, many he arranged through the name of Russian subjects, but the closest inquiry should be made in advance, as to the validity of titles.
An impression, which should perhaps be corrected, is that the coast region is un-prospected. Though this is true for many parts of it, there are over one thousand linear miles of creek and river locations, for gold and other minerals, and several thousand acres of patented claims. These are legally held, taxes being regularly paid to the Vladivostok government. They are held mainly by Russian companies or individuals, exceptions being one or two foreign companies, or individuals possessing exceptional mining rights.
Mining “concessions” so far as known, do not exist in the region specified. The nearest approach to special concessions, are certain prospecting rights, within defined area limits, and for a limited time. Even these do not give exclusive prospecting rights in the regions concerned.
It is now the intention of the Vladivostok government to establish offices of the District Mining Engineer, at Okotsk, Petropavlovsk, Anadyr, and other points where mining locations can be properly recorded, by authorized license holders. Any American wishing to acquire such a prospecting and mining license, is advised to apply to the Mining Department at Vladivostok. Unless he is possessed of such a license, or has previously made arrangements with existing companies holding mining claims, his presence on mineral claims in the sixty-seven-mile zone will be considered as a trespass, by the Russian government authorities.
Under the heading of such trespass comes most of the individual placer mining, which has been carried on by foreigners in the last few years in the Anadyr region, and in the region bordering the north shore of the Okotsk Sea.
On the other hand, in the Yakutsk government, whose eastern border is the Yablonoi, and Stanovoi mountain divides, mining rights are open to all foreigners, without special rights. The recording of claims made in this district, however, necessitates eventual notification to the District Engineer, at Yakutsk, or the Mining Department, at Vladivostok, and the sending of an authorized government surveyor from one of those points, to survey the claim for government patent.
Russian placer claims may have a length of 17,500 ft. and are generally surveyed to include about 250 acres. Quartz claims are located 7,000 ft. square, and both these and placer claims may, if desired, be surveyed to include about 1,000 acres.
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