DUSHANBE, October 13, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik geologists expect to discover large gold deposit in central Tajikistan by the end of the year.

Azim Ibrohim, the head of the Main Geology Directorate under the Government of Tajikistan, remarked this at a news conference in Dushanbe on October 12.

According to him, Tajik specialists jointly with foreign donors are currently working at two sites.  “These deposits are expected to have large gold reserves comparable with current native gold reserves of Tajikistan,” Tajik chief geologist said.

“Hundreds of thousands of samples have been analyzed not only in Tajikistan, but also abroad,” noted Ibrohim, “The work’s results are encouraging but I cannot yet speak about the quantity, quality and the sites of work.  I think we will have more specific figures until the end of the year and we will able to name these deposits.”

Tajikistan reportedly has 28 known gold deposits containing an estimated 429.3 tons of gold.  The country now produces on average 1,600 kilograms of gold per year.

According to some estimates, Neogene basins of Darvoz may contain several thousands tons of native gold reserves.