Production at Russia’s gold mines was up in the first half of the year by 27 percent on year-on-year basis, according the Union of Gold Producers. The total quantity of gold mined in the first six months of 2009 was 66.94 tons.

Amur and Chukotka were responsible for the greatest output increases. Accelerated efforts at Chukotka’s Kupol mine that belongs to Kinross Gold appear to have paid off. Higher results also came from the Karalveyem mine owned by Lev Leviev Group, the Pioneer mine belonging to Peter Hambro Mining, and the Berezitivoye mine controlled by High River Gold in the Amur oblast.    

Experts are curious as to whether the upward trend can sustain itself in the last two quarters of 2009. In June of 2009, production was actually 23.5 percent lower compared to what it had been one year before.