DUSHANBE, June 6, Asia-Plus — Tajik-Canadian Joint Venture “Aprelevka” intends to have launched new technology of production of precious metals in Tajikistan this summer.
“The company’s administration intends to modernize the gold-extracting factory, which is part of this enterprise,“ the source in the Ministry of Industry said. According to him, they intend to increase annual productivity of the company from 180,000 tons of ore to 300,000 tons. “It will allow the enterprise to annually produce 300 kilograms of gold and 700 kilograms of silver,” the source said.
The Tajik-Canadian gold-mining joint venture Aprelevka was established in the Sughd province of Tajikistan in 1995. The company is engaged in mining and processing of ores at Aprelevka, Kyzyl-Cheku, Burgunda, Ekiljon and other small deposits in northern Tajikistan. Dore alloy is the finished product of this enterprise. Tajikistan owns 51 percent of the shares and the Canadian company Gulf International Minerals assumes the 49% ownership interest in the joint-stock company Aprelevka. 60 percent of the company’s product goes to replenishing Tajikistan’s golden reserves.
The Ministry of Industry says that at present three gold extraction joint ventures are operating in Tajikistan – “Zarafshon”, “Aprelevka” and “Darvoz”. The “Zarafshon” gold company is a leader of mining industry in Tajikistan. The joint-stock company “Zarafshon” is a gold-mining enterprise, which processes local gold deposits. Gold-silver Dore alloy, which is refining at affinage plant in Tajikistan with producing of chemically pure gold and silver (99.99 and 99.95 alloys respectively), is the main product.
Investors from Russia, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom and Turkey are keen on participating in development of mining sector in Tajikistan, according to the source. The possibility of Tajikistan giving licenses to some of investors for launching joint ventures cannot be ruled out, the source said. He also noted that all necessary conditions had been created in Tajikistan for drumming up foreign investments in enhancement of mining sector in Tajikistan.
According to information from Tajikistan’s Academy of Sciences, at present some 30 gold deposits with a total volume of more than 400 tons are known in Tajikistan.
