The Main Geology Directorate under the Government of Tajikistan is continuing to search for new gold deposits.
Last year, Tajik geologists reportedly implemented a number of projects sponsored by the government.
They, in particular, carried out works on geochemical prospecting for gold in the Qaratogh-Luchob watershed, exploring gold deposits at the Shing-Magian fields (Panjakent in Sughd province), prospecting for gold at the Oshoba field (Asht district in Sughd province), and prospecting for alluvial gold in the Chashmai Latif – Shohkamon watershed.
The Main Geology Directorate had earlier noted that a total volume of Tajikistan’s gold reserves is about 500 tons.
Meanwhile, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies (MoINT), Tajikistan has 137 deposits with estimated reserves of industrial gold and 127 deposits of non-industrial gold. Tajikistan plans to increase annual production of gold to 17 tons beginning on 2022.
Four large gold mining companies now operate in Tajikistan: Tilloi Tojik; Tajik-Chinese JV Zarafshon; Tajik-Canadian JV Aprelevka; and China Nonferrous Gold Limited, which is the first foreign company to obtain 100% ownership of a mining and exploration project in Tajikistan. Besides, enterprises such as Odina, Nazira, Ganj, Barakat and Istiqlol are engaged in gold production in the country.
Most of gold comes from the Jilau deposit operated by Tajik-Chinese joint venture, Zarafshon, which reportedly accounts for more than 70 percent of the total amount of gold produced in Tajikistan.
Over the first nine month of the last year, gold production in Tajikistan reportedly rose 9 percent compared to the same period 2019. However, it is fewer than it was originally planned, according to a MoINT. The ministry attributes a slowdown in production growth rates in the mining sector, including the gold production, to the coronavirus pandemic.
Over the past five years, an annual growth rate in gold production was approximately 20 percent and the ministry planned to keep gold production rate at 20 percent in the coming years as well.
In recent years, production of gold in Tajikistan has risen more than two times – from about 3.2 tons in 2014 to nearly 8.1 tons in 2019.
In 2018, Tajikistan produced about 6.5 tons of gold. Tajikistan produced 5,500 kilograms of gold in 2017 and 5,000 kilograms of gold in 2016. In 2015, Tajikistan produced about 4,200 kilograms of gold, which was nearly 32 percent more than in 2014.
