Mirziyoyev orders gold mining cluster and expanded exploration in Karakalpakstan
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Mirziyoyev calls for gold mining cluster and broader exploration in Karakalpakstan
At a meeting in Nukus on Saturday, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said authorities plan to create a gold mining and processing cluster in Karakalpakstan and widen geological exploration.
He noted that exploration has so far reached only 20% of Karakalpakstan’s territory, adding that information on the region’s mineral reserves is still inadequate as major investors begin to arrive.
As one example, the president pointed to a project by a Chinese investor at the Urusoy deposit in Karauzyak district. The company put in $33 million and introduced new technologies, then found 4 tonnes of gold reserves over 200 hectares, worth $563 million at current prices. The project has generated 320 jobs.
Officials were told to address, within a month, the issues raised by investors and to establish a gold mining and processing cluster that will provide 1,000 jobs. They were also instructed to prepare a comprehensive exploration program and reassess reserves at existing deposits.
Mirziyoyev also emphasized the importance of deeper processing of Karakalpakstan’s mineral resources.
Each year, about 1 million tonnes of industrial salt are sold without processing from the Barsakelmes deposit in Kungrad district.
At the Kuskanatau deposit in Bozatau district, authorities estimate that processing mirabilite could produce up to 45,000 tonnes of sodium sulfate a year, while processing astrakhanite could yield magnesium sulfate.
A German company is also planning to invest $30 million in a quartzite deposit in Beruniy district. The investor plans to begin producing crystalline silicon and export $25 million worth of goods annually.
Figures presented at the meeting showed that crystalline silicon sells for about $5,500 a tonne on the world market.
Officials responsible for the chemical industry were instructed to prepare and carry out projects worth another $200 million, in addition to the $400 million in projects already planned. These new projects are expected to create 5,000 jobs.
The country produces around 120 tonnes of gold annually, about 100 tonnes of which comes from the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combinat.