DUSHANBE, October 22 2012, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan’s largest gold mining companies intend to purchase sodium cyanide from Kazakhstan, the press center of Kazakhstan’s National Export and Investment, Kaznex Invest, reports.
The Astana-based United Chemical Company reportedly concluded memorandums of understanding with Tajik gold mining companies Zeravshan Cold Company (ZGC) and Aprelevka on supplying sodium cyanide to them.
The documents were signed in Dushanbe recently during Kaznex Invest delegation’s visit to Tajikistan.
The delivery of sodium cyanide to Tajikistan is expected to start in late 2014, when a plant with annual capacity of 25,000 tons of sodium cyanide will be introduced into operation at the Khimpark Taraz Free Economic Zone (FEZ).
Sodium cyanide is an inorganic compound having a high affinity for metals, which leads to the high toxicity of this salt. Its main application, in gold mining, also exploits its high reactivity toward metals. Sodium cyanide is mainly used to extract gold and other precious metals in mining. This application exploits the high affinity of gold for cyanide, which induces gold metal to oxidize and dissolve in the presence of air and water, producing the salt sodium gold cyanide (or gold sodium cyanide) and sodium hydroxide.
Tajikistan reportedly has more than 30 gold deposits containing an estimated some 450 tons of gold. The largest amount of gold was produced in Tajikistan in 1998 – 3,000 kilograms, while in recent years the country has produced annually not more than 1,800 kilograms. Most of gold comes from the Jilau deposit operated by Tajik-Chinese JV Zeravshan Gold Company, ZGC.
Three large gold mining companies now operate in Tajikistan: Tilloi Tojik; Tajik-Chinese JV Zeravshan Gold Company (ZGC); and Tajik-Canadian JV Aprelevka. Besides, the private gold mining artel, Odina, operates in Khatlon province.
In 2011, Tajikistan reportedly produced more 2.2 tons of gold and 1.7 tons of silver.
