July 31, Asia-Plus - The Takob ore refinery intends to start development of a tungsten deposit in the area of Maykhura, Varzob district, some 85 kilometers north of Dushanbe , this year, according to information from the Ministry of Industry.

According the source, the Takob ore refinery had previously specialized in production of fluorspar, which is used at metallurgical plants and in aluminum industry.  Since reserves of fluorite were exhausted in the early Nineties already and the sales market was lost, the ore refinery’s administration has applied to the Ministry of Industry for permission to develop the tungsten deposits in the republic.  At present experts from the Takob ore refinery are studying the possibility of non-profile use of the plant’s capacities.   

The source says Russian companies intend to invest in launching a joint venture on developing the Maykhura tungsten deposit.  “If the Takob ore refinery does not begin developing the tungsten deposits, it will just stop to exist,” the source says.  

According to the source, Tajikistan has tungsten deposits, and on exploitation reserves of the ore at the rate of 1,500 tons a year they are designed for almost 60 years.  

The Takob ore refinery was tendered for privatization last year, and the Russian limited liability company “Region Invest” privatized it for 320,000 Somonis in November 2005.