Kumtor - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 39

Will Kumtor’s ‘Tails’ Benefit or Harm Kyrgyzstan?

The Finnish company Metso is set to develop a tailings pond at Kyrgyzstan's Kumtor goldmine but local environmentalists are sceptical, claiming that recycling the waste will bring more damage to the environment than economic benefits. "Tailings" are liquid and solid metal (pulp) remnants of ore processing and according to various estimates, Kumtor's tailings pond contains 70 to 130 tons of gold that could not be mined at the plant. The remnants of precious metal with harmful waste are mothballed, making secondary mining extremely difficult. The Kyrgyz government however, believes that cooperation with the Finns could provide the state with an annual revenue of some $3.5 billion. Isakbek Torgoev, head of the geo-environmental monitoring laboratory at the Institute of Geomechanics and Subsoil Development of Kyrgyzstan and a candidate of technical sciences, told the Times of Central Asia that the Kumtor tailings pond, grandiose in volume, has over a hundred million tailings. "Throughout the entire phase of the mine -over 30 years - ores were taken from different parts of the Kumtor deposit. At times, ores containing 1.8 grams of gold per ton were dumped in the tailings pond. By comparison, at the Boruu gold mine in Mongolia, that amount of gold is contained in the mined rock, but here it is in the tailings. This is a lot," notes Torgoev. The scientific institute believes that dangerous chemical processes occur in the abandoned ores. "Frankly speaking, I am sceptical about such a development, given that very few successful examples exist worldwide. Especially at Kumtor, with its difficult climatic conditions and frigid winters. Theoretically, the work can be carried out, but practically, we'll see," commented the scientist. According to Torgoev, the price of gold may fall, and because of unprofitability, the Finnish company could refuse to process tailings. Moreover, the reclamation of tailings is a very complicated technological process. In addition to constructing water drains, a layer of a meter thick soil is required to cover them. Otherwise, the waste will go into the rivers and soil, harming the environment. The former owners of Kumtor, the Canadian company Centerra Gold, accumulated about $60 million for the reclamation of the tailings pond after the mine was depleted (tentatively in 2027). However, after the nationalization of the mine, the fate of these funds remains unknown. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan, there are 92 burial sites for toxic and radioactive substances in the country. Of these, 23 tailings contain uranium elements, while the rest are buried with radioactive rock residues, heavy metals, and cyanide.

Rare Earth Elements Environmental Awareness Uranium Mining Legislation Kumtor Economy Export/import Issyk-Kul Investments Energy

Kyrgyzstan Lifts Ban on Mining of Uranium and Thorium

Deputies of the Kyrgyz Parliament have approved a bill lifting the ban on mining uranium and thorium by 69 votes in favor to three against. Parliamentarians are confident that the legislative changes will bring significant economic dividends to the country. The law banning uranium and thorium mining was passed in 2019. At that time, authorities wanted to sell the license to develop a deposit, but faced a significant pushback from residents who feared the project could harm the environment and damage the water table. The result was a complete ban on the entire territory of the Republic. In the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan alone, 150,000 cubic meters of radioactive waste were accumulated from uranium mining in the last century. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the country has 92 burial sites, with 23 tailing dumps containing uranium elements. Kyrgyzstan's total volume of poisonous and hazardous substances stands at 2.9 million cubic meters. The notes behind the new bill indicate that alternative sources of income are needed due to severe economic impacts over recent years. However, these activities must strictly comply with environmental norms and standards in uranium and thorium mining. Speaking in parliament, Minister of Natural Resources, Environment, and Technical Supervision, Melis Turganbayev assured deputies that the bill's passage would not harm the environment or the health of Kyrgyz citizens. “For uranium mining to be profitable, a deposit needs 40-50 tons. Kyrgyzstan lacks such reserves. There are occurrences from 0.01 to 0.08% in 83 locations. Our goal is not the uranium, but the associated metals,” Turganbayev said. Authorities plan to mine titanomagnetite, which is accompanied by uranium and thorium. Both elements will be processed at the Kara-Balta Combine in Chui Oblast. Thorium will be stored, while uranium will be sold to other states. Iskhak Masaliyev, one of the three deputies who voted against the bill, reminded his colleagues of discussions in the early 2000s on ecology. However, only now has it been possible to begin to eliminate harmful waste. Doctor of Geological and Mineral Sciences, academician Rozalia Jenchuraeva told The Times of Central Asia that the 2019 law banning mining was “a big folly” as it suspended all waste activities and impacted jobs, leaving hazardous materials lying no more than 20 meters deep are slowly contaminating the soil and water. “If they pull it all out, it will be wonderful. It will clean up the land. This is work for the Kara-Balta Combine. I think the government has decided to develop Kyzyl-Ompol, which is the right thing to do,” Jenchuraeva said. Jenchuraeva believes that Kyrgyzstan has qualified personnel who have previously worked at uranium sites, know how to mine uranium and thorium, and can develop the deposits using their expertise and resources. Earlier, President Japarov met with residents near the Kyzyl-Ompol deposit. “The development of Kyzyl-Ompol will create over a thousand jobs. This mine will become the second Kumtor (gold deposit). The local budget will cease to be subsidized, and the people will get richer,” the president said. Kyzyl-Ompol is...

Industry Kumtor Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan’s Kumtor Begins Underground Gold Mining

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has said that underground gold mining at Kumtor can provide hundreds of millions of additional dollars to the country's budget. The deputy head of the Kyrgyz Government, Adylbek Kasymaliev, presided over a ceremony marking the beginning of work at the mine. The Kumtor deposit is one of the ten largest gold deposits in the world. The mine is located in the Issyk-Kol region in the permafrost zone at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level. Revenues from Kumtor account for roughly one-third of the state budget in Kyrgyzstan, with the mine producing about 17 tons of gold per year. "The feasibility study of the underground gold mining project developed by specialists speaks about its economic efficiency. According to preliminary data, with the help of an underground mining method, it will be possible to get 115 tons of gold. Taking into account the precious metal mined at the [site] by the open-pit method, this is a big step forward," said Almazbek Baryktabasov, President of the Kumtor Gold Company. Mining underground will help the company reach gold of a higher-grade ore, he said, and as a result, the company will be able to increase its tax payments. Until its nationalization in 2021, the Kumtor mine was owned by Canadian company, Centerra Gold. Earlier, the Canadian owners tried to extract gold through shafts. However, gold prices did not render this profitable, as the shaft method is much more expensive than the open-pit mining. Over the past ten years, however, the price of an ounce of gold has risen by more than $700 and is currently trading at just over $2,000. Before Kumtor was expropriated, Centerra Gold spent approximately $180 million dollars on research related to underground mining. Today, the authorities have allocated an additional mining site next to the one where gold ore is already being extracted. According to some reports, the new site contains a denser concentration of the precious metal per unit of ore. Currently, at Kumtor's open-pit mine, it takes one ton of processed ore and more than 40 tons of extracted waste rock to produce 5-7 grams of gold. Underground mining could double that yield. Furthermore, underground mining is not as environmentally damaging as open-pit mining. For example, one of Kumtor's main environmental concerns is the destruction of glaciers which literally hang over the edge of the open pit.

Waste Mining Kumtor Economy Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan: Forum helps local suppliers find partners in mining business

BISHKEK (TCA) — The first Forum of suppliers of goods and services for the mining industry of Kyrgyzstan was held in Bishkek on June 27. It was not a traditional meeting when all the invitees are sitting in the hall while speakers perform reports in a planned manner. Establishing B2B contacts During six hours, the ten largest mining companies, including KAZ Minerals Bozymchak, Kumtor Gold Company, Altynken and Highland Exploration, and 28 supplier companies from various sectors of the economy established B2B contacts and concluded preliminary agreements in several halls of Hyatt Regency Bishkek. In front of the hotel, the companies demonstrated modern heavy mining equipment including excavators and bulldozers, while inside the hotel there were representatives of the largest subsoil users and local suppliers. Subsoil users explained the procurement procedures to suppliers and answered their questions. Suppliers presented their products and services at stands and in presentations. Along with suppliers of direct goods and services such as design, exploration, testing, drilling and blasting, the exhibition also included related services — food supply, workwear, lighting equipment and much more that can be purchased in the country. Askar Sydykov, Executive Director of the International Business Council (IBC) based in Bishkek, told how the idea of holding the forum appeared. “Suppliers of goods and services often turned to IBC with a request to acquaint them with purchasers, and not only for the mining industry, but also for other sectors of the economy. We decided to bring together suppliers of goods and services in one place to help them establish contacts for further joint projects,” the IBC head explained. Lack of information The cooperation often fails due to the lack of information. For example, not everyone knows that the country produces materials for mining and recycles industrial waste. Subsoil users do not always have information on where and what purchases can be made in Kyrgyzstan. At the same time, they are ready to buy more from local companies and enterprises. “Recently, the mining industry has been developing rapidly in our country, and the need for services is increasing. We support the initiative to ensure that as many local companies operate in Kyrgyzstan. The more local people work, study and develop, the less problems with local communities will investors face,” said Aigerim Omokoeva, Executive Director of the Aji Service LLC that provides special equipment and other services for the mining industry. The main activity of the company is blasting and sale of explosive materials for industrial explosions. “In terms of safety, we have a great responsibility towards people and comply with all international and local safety and environment standards,” she added. Efficiency of local suppliers could be improved if local companies are given open access to tenders. “Kyrgyzaltyn (Kyrgyz Gold) state enterprise’s information about tenders is the only source for us to participate in tenders. We learn about tenders through our colleagues, geologists, who have been working in the industry for a long time,’” Omokoeva said. How to become a Kumtor supplier Kumtor Gold...

Tax Mining Kumtor Investments Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan: Subsoil users concerned about possible tax burden increase

BISHKEK (TCA) — The International Business Council based in Bishkek, mining enterprises and associations of the mining industry of Kyrgyzstan appealed to President Sooronbai Jeenbekov with a request to assist in solving problems in the subsoil use sector. The appeal is related to the recent decision of the Security Council on measures in the subsoil use. Continue reading

Kyrgyzstan Kumtor Mining Gold

Kyrgyzstan: Skies over Kumtor gold field darken once more

BISHKEK (TCA) — As the Kyrgyz government again wants to revise its agreement with Canada-based Centerra concerning the Kumtor gold mine, we are republishing this article on the issue, originally published by Eurasianet: Continue reading