DUSHANBE, July 1, 2010, Asia-Plus — Tajik company, Tacom Gold, is currently conducting negotiations on cooperation with one of Chinese gold-mining companies, according to the Main Geology Directorate of Tajikistan.
The source noted that Tacom Gold had received two licenses from the government to explore placer gold reserves.
The Sariob goldfield, located in the Danghara district (Khatlon province), has possible gold reserves of 1.5 tons and the Bandisariob gold field, located in the Tavildara district (Rasht Valley), has possible gold reserves of more than 5 tons, the source said. According to him, Tacom Gold received the license to explore gold reserves in these goldfields three years ago already.
The source refrained from giving information about the Chinese company and volumes of investments. He just said that a cooperation agreement was expected to be signed in the near future.
Tajikistan reportedly has 28 known gold deposits containing an estimated 429.3 tons of gold. The country now produces on average 1,600 kilograms of gold per year, most of which comes from the Jilau deposit operated by the Zeravshan Gold Company (Tajik-Chinese gold-mining joint venture, located in Sughd province).
The other two gold producers are the gold-mining enterprise, Tilloi Tojik (JV Darvaz), which produces gold from its alluvial operation at the Yakhsou deposit, located in Khatlon province in southern Tajikistan, and Tajik-Canadian gold-mining joint venture, Aprelevka, which is engaged in mining and processing of ores at Aprelevka, Qyzyl-Cheku, Burgunda, Ekiljon and other small deposits in northern Tajikistan (Sughd province).
