Underground gold mining has begun at the Kumtor deposit, the press service of the Kyrgyz government reported on Thursday.
“The First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev launched a project for underground gold mining at the Kumtor deposit,” the press service reported.
According to preliminary calculations, using the underground mining method it will be possible to obtain 115 tons of gold.
According to Kasymaliev, this ore mining method will help increase gold production, as well as reduce the negative impact on the environment, including glaciers.
“We look forward to the successful implementation of this project, given its environmental importance and economic efficiency,” he said.
Currently, gold mining at Kumtor is carried out by open-pit mining.
Kumtor is one of the largest gold mines in Central Asia, located in the Issyk-Kul region in northern Kyrgyzstan, 60 km from the border with China at an altitude of more than 4 thousand meters.
Kumtor was one of the largest foreign investment projects in Kyrgyzstan. The mine was owned by Canadian Centerra Gold Inc., which operated it through its subsidiary Kumtor Gold Company in accordance with a 2009 agreement with the country’s government.
