this article provides an interesting look at operating in russia and trying to mine gold in an extreme environment:

KUPOL MINE, Russia (Reuters) - Every winter, an ice road is laid across 400 km (250 miles) of tundra to carry supplies to one of the world's most isolated gold mines.

There is no other way for heavy machinery to reach Kupol, the $700 million Arctic mine behind a resurgence in Russian gold production after five straight years of decline.

"It's one of the harshest climates I've worked in, and I've worked in the Atacama desert in Chile and at 15,000 feet in Indonesia," said Patrick Dougherty, general manager at Kupol.

"But I don't get to pick where the gold is."

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE57B01E20090812?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=10530