DUSHANBE, March 6, 2010, Asia-Plus — The Government of Tajikistan has endorsed the short list of companies that will compete for the contract for development of the Konimansuri Kalon (Big Konimansur) silver deposit in the Tajik northern Sughd province, Asia-Plus has learned at the State Committee for Investments and State-owned Property Management (GosKomInvest).
The government approved the short list on March 2 and four companies are on this list, namely BHP Billiton from the Netherlands, which is a leading global natural resources company, Zijin Mining, which is one of the largest Chinese gold producers, Jinchuan Group Ltd (JNMC), which is largest Chinese nickel and cobalt producer, and a consortium grouping Kaztsink (Kazakhstan), Glenore International (Switzerland), Kominmasur (Kazakhstan) and ore refinery Adrasman (Tajikistan), the source at GosKomInvest said. According to him the mentioned consortium is led by Kaztsink, which is one of leading zinc producers in the post Soviet-area.
We will recall that the tender for development of the Konimansuri Kalon deposit was announced in November 2009.
The Government of Tajikistan has appointed International Finance Corporation (IFC) to be the lead advisor in selecting a private investor to develop the Konimansuri Kalon mine’s silver deposits project, which is expected to generate significant benefits for the country.
The infrastructure advisory agreement signed on March 12, 2009 presents an opportunity to develop a project that possibly holds one of the world’s larger silver deposits and could help strengthen Tajikistan’s fiscal resources. IFC is committed to ensuring a transparent and competitive process for the selection of a developer. The project is a key part of the government’s strategy to attract private investment and introduce best practices in procurement. Although Tajikistan has rich deposits of minerals, its remote geographic location and low levels of foreign investment have impeded the development of the mining sector.
The Konimansuri Kalon in the Asht district, Sughd province is estimated to contain around 1 billion tons of ore and according to expert estimates, one ton of the deposit”s ore contained around 49 grams of silver, with 0.38 percent zinc and 0.49 percent lead.
