DUSHANBE, January 11, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Some technical issues are impeding the completion of the tender for development of the Konimansuri Kalon (Big Konimansur) silver deposit, Azim Ibrohim, the head of the Main Geology Directorate, told Asia-Plus in an interview Wednesday afternoon.

“The complication of selection of company for development of this silver deposit is explainable because Koni Mansuri Kalon is a unique deposit,” said Ibrohim, “It is not uneasy issue.  The Tajik side is not impeding the process and everything has been formulized correctly in the legal point view, but the deposit is very big and requires finding solution to many technical issues.”

According to him, the question is of processing at least 15 million tons of ore per year.  “For example, Zeravshan Gold Company processes 1.5 million tons of ore per year,” Ibrohim noted.

We will recall that the tender for development of the Konimansuri Kalon deposit was announced in November 2009 and on March 2, 2010, the government approved the short list and four companies, namely; BHP Billion from the Netherlands, which is a leading global natural resources company, Ziti Mining, which is one of the largest Chinese gold producers, Sichuan Group Ltd (JNMC), which is largest Chinese nickel and cobalt producer, and a consortium that groups Kaztsink (Kazakhstan), Glenmore International (Switzerland), Konimansur (Kazakhstan) and ore refinery Adrasman (Tajikistan) were on the list.  In the meantime, Ziti Mining and Sichuan Group Ltd (JNMC) have pulled out for some reasons.

The Konimansuri Kalon in Asht district, Sughd province is estimated to contain around 1 billion tons of ore and according to expert estimates, one ton of the deposit''s ore contained around 49 grams of silver, with 0.38 percent zinc and 0.49 percent lead.

A new survey conducted by specialists from Micon International Limited (Micon Int) at the Konimansuri Kalon deposit has reportedly raised its possible silver reserves to some 70,000 tons.  The previous possible silver reserves of the Konimansuri Kalon deposit had been estimated at some 57,000 tons.

According to specialists’ estimates, more than US$2 billion are needed for development of the Konimansuri Kalon deposit and development of this deposit will take 30-40 years.

The Konimansuri Kalon silver deposit project is expected to generate significant benefits for the country and help strengthen Tajikistan’s fiscal resources.  The project is a key part of the government’s strategy to attract private investment and introduce best practices in procurement.  Although Tajikistan has rich deposits of minerals, its remote geographic location and low levels of foreign investment have impeded the development of the mining sector.