Kumtor mine - The Times Of Central Asia

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Gold Mining

Kyrgyzstan Advances Underground Project at Kumtor Mine

The state-owned Kumtor Gold Company, Kyrgyzstan's largest gold mining asset, has announced the high efficiency of its new underground mining operations. According to the company, up to 5 grams of gold can be extracted from each ton of ore mined using the underground method. Experts believe this yield is sufficient to ensure the long-term viability of the deposit. Although underground mining was officially launched in August 2025, actual excavation began in February. In a response to The Times of Central Asia, the company reported that geological reserves in the underground zones of Kumtor are estimated at 147 tons of gold, enabling the mine to remain operational for at least another 17 years. “Two tunnels are currently being developed. Poor ore is being mined at the moment, and the system is reaching its design capacity. Full-scale production will be achieved in the coming years,” the company stated. To date, over 1.5 kilometers of underground tunnels have been excavated at Kumtor. Operations continue around the clock, with special equipment transporting ore out of the mine every ten minutes. To maintain a safe working environment in the high-altitude, cold conditions, warm air is pumped into the tunnels to ensure worker comfort and safety. Kumtor was nationalized in 2022 after nearly 30 years of operation by the Canadian company Centerra Gold. The previous operator had planned to complete mining operations in 2024 and begin land reclamation. While underground mining was explored in 2015, it was deemed unprofitable at the time, in part due to low global gold prices. Today, gold is trading at approximately $4,280 per ounce, around $1,000 more than five years ago. This price increase has significantly improved the profitability of underground extraction, making the project economically viable.

Gold

Sharp Rise in Global Gold Prices Expected to Benefit Kyrgyz Economy

A significant surge in global gold prices is presenting new economic opportunities for Kyrgyzstan. Over recent weeks, gold has risen by more than $400 per troy ounce on the London Commodities Exchange, signaling potential gains for the country’s gold-dependent economy. Back in 2022, amid escalating global geopolitical tensions, Kyrgyz authorities began encouraging citizens to hold their savings in gold. Three years on, that strategy appears vindicated: gold prices have nearly doubled. According to the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan, the country’s international reserves reached over $7 billion in 2025, growing by $2 billion in just one year. A substantial portion of these reserves is held in gold bullion, highlighting the precious metal’s role as the cornerstone of Kyrgyzstan’s financial resilience. The current price surge is expected to further insulate the national economy from external shocks. In 2024, Kyrgyz mining enterprises produced 24 tons of gold. If production levels remain steady, export revenues could exceed $2.5 billion in 2025. This would provide a significant boost to tax revenues, the national budget, and the country’s foreign currency reserves. Economist Kubanychbek Idinov told The Times of Central Asia that the Kumtor mine, the country’s flagship gold asset, remains the primary driver of state revenue. “Thanks to the nationalization of Kumtor in 2022, government revenues from the enterprise have increased several times. These funds are already being used to build social housing and develop new industries. With the launch of underground mining, authorities now have the capacity to further expand social spending and finance industrial growth,” said Idinov. He estimates that Kumtor still holds between 500 and 700 tons of gold, which could support Kyrgyzstan’s economic stability for up to two more decades. However, experts warn against overreliance on gold. “Prices may rise, but they can also fall,” Idinov noted. “While current conditions offer windfall revenues, these should be strategically invested into infrastructure, trade, and industrial development. That is the path to a more resilient and diversified economy.” The latest rally in gold prices offers Kyrgyzstan a rare window of opportunity. But capitalizing on this moment will depend on how effectively authorities can translate resource wealth into long-term national development.

Ecology

Kyrgyzstan’s Largest Gold Deposit: Environmental Disaster on the Horizon?

Concerns over a potential environmental catastrophe at the Kumtor mine, Kyrgyzstan’s largest gold deposit, have gained traction following a recent statement by Adilet Usupbaev, an ecologist from the National Academy of Sciences. According to Usupbaev, a waste dump at the high-altitude mine is shifting toward the Kumtor River, which feeds into the Naryn River and, eventually, the Syr Darya River, raising fears of severe contamination if waste reaches the waterway. Ecologist Raises Alarm in Parliament Speaking in Parliament, Usupbaev explained that waste rock dumps, formed as a byproduct of mining operations, are gradually shifting. While several such dumps exist at Kumtor, one in particular is now edging closer to the Kumtor River. “If the dump reaches the Kumtor River, it will be a disaster. We need urgent measures to stop its movement, planting Caragana shrubs, for instance. As an experiment, we planted them in the area, and they took root. The shrubbery won’t stop the dump entirely, but it’s at least an attempt,” Usupbaev said. He warned that waste accumulation at mining sites across the country is increasing each year, potentially leading to widespread environmental damage if proper land reclamation is not implemented. Many dumps, he noted, contain harmful chemical compounds. Mining Company Rejects Claims The Kumtor Gold Company dismissed the ecologist’s concerns, asserting that his claims lack an objective basis. The company emphasized that the movement of waste dumps is occurring at a slower rate than anticipated. “At present, actual displacement is within our 2023 forecast and does not yet match the projected values for 2025. The dump remains 160 meters from the 2025 boundary and roughly one kilometer from the Kumtor River,” the company stated. Kumtor officials insisted that continuous scientific monitoring allows them to assess and manage geotechnical risks, preventing potential hazards such as dump collapses or water contamination. They further argued that the dumps consist solely of waste rock mass, free of harmful chemical elements. Has This Happened Before? Kumtor has previously been the cause of significant environmental issues. In 1998, a traffic accident led to almost a ton of cyanide spilling into a river near the village of Barskoon. In terms of waste dump movements, in 2013, shifting rock masses threatened residential areas, administrative buildings, and a weather station, forcing the company to demolish and relocate infrastructure. According to Isakbek Torgoev, head of the Geoecological Monitoring Laboratory at the Kyrgyz National Academy of Sciences, the movement of waste rock dumps is a constant process at Kumtor due to the thawing of permafrost beneath them. “These dumps are always moving, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, but Kumtor’s geotechnical service closely monitors them. The Lysyi Glacier dump is currently the closest to the Kumtor River, but it is still about a kilometer away,” Torgoev told The Times of Central Asia. Torgoev recalled visiting the mine a decade ago as part of a government commission tasked with inspecting the dumps. At the time, authorities stated that all waste dumps should be stabilized by the mine’s closure, a goal that...