Canada’s Silvercorp Metals and state-owned Kyrgyzaltyn have begun creating the Chaarat mining enterprise in Jalal-Abad region. The partners split the project 70/30, and total investment in the two deposits is estimated at $556 million. The first gold is expected within a year or two.
Tulkubash is to come online first, accounting for about $156 million. The ore will be mined by open pit and processed at up to 4 million tonnes per year. Output is expected at 3.1–3.4 tonnes of gold annually, with start-up planned for 2027–2028.
Kyzyltash is the more capital-intensive part of the project, requiring about $400 million. It combines open-pit and underground mining, with processing volume estimated at 3–4 million tonnes of ore per year. Production is scheduled to begin in 2031.
Site preparation is already under way. Access roads are being built, along with pit infrastructure and a heap leaching area. Once both facilities are launched, about 600 jobs will be created in the Chatkal district.
It is worth distinguishing the figures: $556 million is the estimate of investment in both deposits in full, not the cost of the first stage alone.
Chaarat could become one of the most prominent mining projects in the country. Phased commissioning will allow Kyrgyzstan to receive gold as early as 2027 and reach full capacity by the start of the next decade, bringing new jobs to the region.
Source: @dprom
Image: 24.kg
