Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Kazakhstan's gold reserves are predicted at 10,000 tons, Kazakh Deputy Minister of Industry and New Technologies Nurlan Sauranbayev said on March 5.

He noted some 1,159 tons of gold is listed on the balance sheet, and 1,107 tons of gold is expected to be produced.

"The explored gold reserves in Kazakhstan were increased by 325 tons over the last three years," Sauranbayev said

The Kazakh president has set the task to bring gold production up to 70 tons per year in upcoming years. Currently, over 95 percent of explored gold reserves are in subsoil use. The gold field reserves account for 62 percent of the deemed state balance.

Also, Kazakhstan has adopted a law for gold production. The law requires that all the gold produced in the country to be sold to the Kazakh National Bank. According to official data, less than 15 percent of Kazakhstan's explored metals' reserves are currently in production and only 75 out of 282 identified gold deposits are in operation.

New technologies needed

The Ministry of Industry and New Technologies announced on March 4 that Kazakhstan needs new technologies for the development of gold deposits.

"It is expected that the introduction of innovative technologies in production significantly increase the volume of gold output", the ministry said.

The usage of enrichment technologies will make it possible to obtain concentrates with a gold content of 25-30 grams per ton with its 70-percent recovery.

The list of subsoil areas put up for tender includes gold fields as well.

"Direct negotiations with national companies are conducted periodically on the applications receipt order", the statement said.

As of January 1, 2013, Kazakhstan's state balance of mineral reserves accounted for 320 gold ore fields with reserves of 2,200 tons. All auriferous fields in Kazakhstan are divided into their own gold properties (62.5 percent of the balance reserves), complex (33.2 percent), weathering crust and alluvial (1.4 percent), and manmade (2.9 percent).

A considerable part of the gold reserves and production falls on complex auriferous of gold-pyrite-polymetallic fields from where gold is extracted as associated components.

"More than half of the gold fields belong to 'persistent' ores and the solution of technological problems will not only increase production at the developed fields, but also involve the testing of new facilities", the ministry said.