The deposit is scheduled for industrial launch in November, its balance reserves totaling 2.1 bn of both coking and steam coal, Igor Sechin
(Russia, VP) says. Its development would ease the shortage caused by Raspadskaya mine degrading capacities.
As reported earlier, c 1 m t of coal may be extracted at Elga in 2011, the output reaching c 9 m t annually by 2013.