DUSHANBE, October 8, 2010, Asia-Plus — Specialists note that increasing prices of precious metals, in particular gold, have given impulse to development of deposits that were remained undeveloped because of low content of metal in ore.
To mine gold in Tajikistan has become much more profitable than in the previous years, Bobokhon Bobokhonov, the deputy director of the Tajik-Chinese joint gold mining venture, Zeravshan Gold Company (ZGC), told Asia-Plus today.
“It has become much more profitable to mine gold today compared, for example, to the period from 1998 to 2004, even despite increasing prices of electric power and fuels that are necessary for mining precious metals,” said Bobokhonov, “In 1994-2004, one ounce of gold cost US$300.00, while current price for one ounce of gold is more than US$1,300.”
Over the first nine months of this year, ZGC has produced 147 million somoni worth of output (gold, silver, copper), the deputy director said, adding that the company is expected to produce a total of 200 million somoni worth of output this year.
According to the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI), the gold mining companies in Tajikistan have produced 1,070 kilograms of gold and 1,452 kilograms of silver over the first eight months of this year, which is 355.3 and 589 kilograms respectively more than in the same period last year, the source added.
ZGC accounted for more than 50 percent of the overall amount of gold produced in the country over the report period. In January-August 2010, the company has produced 607 kilograms of gold, which is 307 kilograms more than over the same period of 2009
JV Aprelevka has produced 282 kilograms of gold and Tilloi Tojik has produced 159 kilograms of gold over the report period.
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.
