DUSAHNBE, November 21, Asia-Plus - France’s corporation Sofrimines is interested in participating in development of the tungsten deposit Maykhura in Tajikistan.

A source at the ministry of industry said that prospects of cooperation between Tajikistan and France’s Sofrimines in the field of mining were discussed at a meeting of the ministry’s leadership with representatives from Sofrimines in Dushanbe yesterday.  “French specialists have already visited the deposit to familiarize themselves with its infrastructures,” the source said, noting that Tajik specialists have worked an investment project for the Maykhura deposit located in the Varzob district.  The estimated budget for the implementation of this project is US$10 million, according to the source.  

The source said that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between Tajikistan and Sofrimines was signed last year. 

According to the ministry of industry, development of the tungsten deposit in the Maykhura area began in 1959 and lasted until 1966.  In 1966, the deposit was closed down.  Additional prospecting works carried out there have shown that the deposit’s resources amount to 1.918 million tons and a re enough for 60 years.   

The "Soci?t? Fran?aise d''Etudes Mini?res", Sofrimines, with principal shareholders A.T.I.C, B.R.G.M and CHARBONNAGES DE FRANCE was created in 1995.  In 1987, Sofrimines establishes a subsidiary in Nigeria, SOFREMINES NIGERIA Ltd.  In 1990, Sofrimines is integrated into the SOFRESID GROUP.  The latter is purchased by TRAFALGAR HOUSE in 1994.  TRAFALGAR HOUSE was taken over by KVAERNER in 1996 under the name of KVAERNER PROCESS FRANCE.  In 1999, the structure of the shareholders changes with the capital being taken up by Soci?t? Civile de SOFREMINES and the Soci?t? de D?veloppement et d''Investissement pour l''Exploitation des Mines (SDIEM), totally replacing KVAERNER PROCESS FRANCE.