Recent news
Upgrading laboratories brooks no delay
The geological testing of a mineral in any reserve is essential before it begins to be extracted. Our enthusiasm as themining sector expands and fresh large projects come on the anvil must not make us overlook this most important yet underestimated component of mining.
Orkhon River diversion project “spells disaster”
Tsetseghkorol, a herder, stares out nostalgically at the Orkhon River, the longest in Mongolia. “In 1992, the river used to be wide, deep and clean,” she says. “Now it is very polluted and small.”
Let’s hope that the newly built railroads don’t wind up being useless in the end
Interview with S. Haltarbanid, railroad engineer for MTZ (Mongolian Railroad). A very experienced engineer who during his many years working with the Russians on the construction of the railroad has made over 30,000 km of railroad blueprints. He is concerned that, in the end, the newly laid railroads will become useless. Please read the reasons for his concern from the following interview, conducted by reporter N.Ariuntuya.
How Mongolia became the mouse that roared
Turquoise Hill Netherlands is a little-known Amsterdam-based company with three employees, no office, and not even its own mailbox. To the government of Mongolia, though, the company represents billions in taxes that it will never see.
“Complete oversight of all transactions has been arranged”
This is the interview with Ts. Sedvanchig,until recently Executive Director of ErdenesOyuTolgoi, that created a stir in the international media. Ts. Sedvanchigwas answering questions a few days after the first shipment from OyuTolgoi was exported.
Mongolia says Mongolian laws have been breached
The Government of Mongolia and Rio Tinto have been in long discussion over a series of issues regarding the OT project. It was not an authentic intention of the Government of Mongolia to disrupt the concentrate export but instead there is a mutual aim to start the export as soon as all procedures are in line with Mongolian legislative framework.
The Secret wealth of OYU TOLGOI
In the past 4 to 5 years, one reason of Mongolian economy has become attractive to foreign investors was related to the development of the OT project. Political figures and experts have acknowledged this.
Rio Tinto to begin shipping copper from Oyu Tolgoi mine on Friday
Reuters reports that shipments of copper from the Oyu Tolgoi mine will begin on Friday, June 14th. Oyu Tolgoi is critical to Rio Tinto, which is the majority owner of the mine, not only because of the scale of the operation—which is expected to produce 330,000 tons of copper each year for the next ten years, as well as 495,000 ounces of gold—but also because the company would like to reduce its dependence on iron ore and rid itself of small and unprofitable assets.
Chinese nationals suspected of illegal gold mining arrested in Ghana
More than 100 Chinese nationals have been detained by police in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The Chinese citizens are suspected of illegally participating in gold mining. The detentions are part of a larger effort to stop illegal gold mining in the West African country, which is the second largest producer of gold on the continent after South Africa.
