With increased scrutiny and pressure to improve tailings management, it is more important than ever to look at different methods to improve this process. An important component of a responsible tailings management strategy is tailings dewatering.

As reported byReuters,Uzbekistan could soon sell shares in some of its biggest state companies, including energy firm Uzbekneftegaz and gold and uranium miner, Navoi Mining and Metallurgy Combine.

In early December 2019, Canadian gold miner Centerra Gold reported a substantial rockslide at the Lysii Waste Rock Dump, Kumtor Mine, located in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, in partnership with BHP Foundation and Unread Media, hosted the ‘Water and Mining’ Data Hackathon at the Hub Innovation Centre in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Rio Tinto has noted the unanimous approval by the Mongolian Parliament of a Resolution that instructs the government to look for ways to improve the implementation of the Investment Agreement of 2009, the Amended & Restated Shareholder Agreement of 2011 and to improve the Underground Mine Development & Financing Plan of 2015.

By Ian Wollff

In the first five-year term of President Jokowi, the Indonesian Mines Department has been successful in cleaning up the administration of the mineral and coal industries (Minerba). Of particular note is the Clean and Clear program that brought order into the Districts issuance and management of the smaller IUP tenements.

CHAARAT Gold Holdings expects to complete a feasibility study for the Tulkubash Heap Leach Project in the Kyrgyz Republic during the current quarter. The study will include an updated resource estimate for the oxide zone incorporating assay results from the 2017 drilling program.

KENADYR Mining’s 2017 drilling program at the Borubai Gold Project in the Kyrgyz Republic has demonstrated that significant mineralisation continues to the east and south of the Zijin-KyrgyzAltyn Mining Lease. Kenadyr’s tenements surround the TBL gold mine, which is operated by Zijin Mining.

CAMECO Corporation has restructured Joint Venture Inkai LLP which operates the Inkai Uranium Project in Kazakhstan. The restructure will result in increased annual production of 10.4 million pounds of uranium from 5.2 million pounds.

WHITE Cliff Minerals will use the assay results from its 2017 drilling program at the Aucu Gold Project in the Kyrgyz Republic to update a resource estimate. The company is 3D modelling the mineralisation in order to prepare the estimate.

LEADING Russian mining and metals company Mechel PAO has signed a protocol of intent aiming to develop ties between Mechel-Steel Management Company OOO and Kyrgyz Republic national company Kyrgyz Temir Zholu. The two parties intend to build systematic cooperation, including exchanging product information.

KAZ Minerals has received approval for a US$1.2 billion expansion program at Aktogay Copper Project in Kazakhstan. This will double annual sulphide ore processing capacity to 50 million tonnes from 2021 through construction of a second concentrator.

CHAARAT Gold Holdings has achieved full local permitting from the Kyrgyz Republic Government for its Tulkubash Heap Leach Project. A licence agreement confirms approval for the plan to take stages one and two of the Chaarat Gold Project, which includes Tulkubash, to production.

WITH production from Central Asia Metals’ (CAM) Kounrad Copper Project in Kazakhstan continuing, the company has stepped up efforts to identify further copper deposits in the Central Asian country. To this end it has been drilling at the Shuak exploration project, which is about 300km north of the capital, Astana.

WHITE Cliff Minerals has finalised a drilling contract with Geostandart LLC for drilling at the Quartz Zone of its Aucu Gold Project in Kyrgyz Republic. Drilling will begin after access tracks and drill pads are completed.

KENADYR Mining has received excellent results from the first two holes drilled into the Borubai Gold Project in the Kyrgyz Republic. The first hole returned 40 metres from 638 metres @ 6.17 g/t gold in the South Zone and the second returned 50 metres from 151 metres @ 8.15 g/t in the East Zone.

ORSU Metals Corporation is dependent upon completing the sale of its Karchiga Copper Project in Kazakhstan before it can satisfy a share purchase agreement (SPA) to acquire the Sergeevskoe Gold Project in eastern Russia. With the Karchiga sale to Karasat Trading FZE not closing as expected on February 15, Orsu has negotiated an amendment to the SPA.

WHITE Cliff Minerals has engaged consultants to complete a new resource estimate for the Aucu Gold Project in the Kyrgyz Republic. The new estimate is expected to add to the existing resource of 1.2 million tonnes @ 4.2 g/t for 156,000 ounces of gold.

CENTERRA Gold will begin a three year construction program to raise the tailings dam at the Kumtor Gold Project in the Kyrgyz Republic to the 3674 metre elevation after receiving the relevant permits from Kyrgyz authorities. The project will provide adequate tailings storage capacity for mill tailings deposition from 2021 until the end of 2024.

CHAARAT Gold Holdings will use US$15 million raised by issuing short term senior secured convertible loan notes to advance its Tulkubash Heap Leach Project in the Kyrgyz Republic. The company is moving in to the first phase of development at Tulkubash, which forms part of the larger Chaarat Gold Project in the country’s west.