DUSHANBE, October 10, 2012, Asia-Plus — The tender for development of the Konimansuri Kalon deposit is nearing completion, Shuhrat Rahmatboyev, First Deputy Chairman the State Committee for Investments and State-owned Property Management (GosKomInvest), told Asia-Plus in an interview Wednesday afternoon.
According to him, the last meeting of the tender commission that will take place in the near future will make the final decision.
A consortium led by Glencore International plc’s Kaztsink has remained the only contender for Tajikistan’s silver field after BHP Billiton Limited (Anglo-Australian multinational mining, oil and gas company) has withdrawn its bid.
The consortium groups Kaztsink (Kazakhstan), Glenmore International (Switzerland), Konimansur (Kazakhstan) and ore refinery Adrasman (Tajikistan).
The tender for development of the Konimansuri Kalon deposit was announced in November 2009 and on March 2, 2010, the government approved the short list and four companies, namely; BHP Billiton, which is a leading global natural resources company, Ziti Mining, which is one of the largest Chinese gold producers, Sichuan Group Ltd (JNMC), which is largest Chinese nickel and cobalt producer, and the consortium led by Glencore International plc”s Kaztsink were on the list. Ziti Mining and Sichuan Group Ltd (JNMC) withdrew their bids last year for some reasons.
Tajik officials say that that according to the preliminary estimates, some US$3 billion or US$4 billion will be needed for development of the Konimansuri Kalon deposit and development of this deposit will take 30-40 years.
We will recall that a new survey conducted by specialists from Micon International Limited (Micon Int) at the Konimansuri Kalon deposit has raised its possible silver reserves to some 70,000 tons. The previous possible silver reserves of the Konimansuri Kalon deposit had been estimated at some 57,000 tons.
The Konimansuri Kalon in 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.
The Konimansuri Kalon silver deposit project is expected to generate significant benefits for the country and help strengthen Tajikistan’s fiscal resources. 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.
