DUSHANBE, January 28, 2009 Asia-Plus — A full rehabilitation and modernization of the Tajik-Chinese joint gold-mining venture, Zeravshan, (Zeravshan Gold Company or ZGC) is expected to be finished n early 2010, Deputy Energy and Industries Minister, Mahmadsharif Haqdodov, told a press conference in Dushanbe on January 26.
According to him, modernization of the enterprise will allow FGC to increase production of gold to 2 tons per year. “The Chinese side will invest more than 50 million US dollars in modernization of the enterprise this year,” the deputy prime minister said.
Last year, the gold-mining enterprises of Tajikistan produced totaling 1,670 kilograms of gold, which was 92 kilograms more than in 2007.
The Zeravshan Gold Company has been operating since 1996 and provides most of gold produced in Tajikistan. In July 2007, ZGC had a significant change of ownership. Avocet Mining, the UK-listed owner of 75% of ZGC sold out its interest to China’s Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. The main product of ZGC is 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).
Tajikistan has 28 known gold deposits containing an estimated 429.3 tons of gold. Most of gold produced in the country comes from the Jilau deposit operated by the Zeravshan Gold Company.
