DUSHANBE, November 11, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik state-run gold mining company, Tilloi Tojik (Tajik Gold), plans to increase gold production.

Modernization of the enterprise is expected to be complete in the beginning of the next year and Tilloi Tojik, formerly JV Darvaz, plans to produce 500 kilograms of gold in 2011, the deputy director of Tilloi Tojik, Nazrullo Kabirov, told Asia-Plus Thursday afternoon.

“Over the first nine months of this year, we have produced 254 kilograms of gold, while we planned to produce 400 kilograms of gold this year,” said Kabirov, “Our equipment has become obsolete, while purchase of new equipment requires considerable investments.”

According to him, the new equipment, including three new BelAZ (heavy trucks), one mobile crane, one tank truck and one bus, for a total amount of 5.094 million somoni will be delivered to the enterprise in late November.  “Besides, a number of trucks, bulldozers, forklift trucks and excavators as well as a new mobile metal-rinsing factory PPM-5 will be delivered next year,” the deputy director said, noting that a total cost of the equipment is 50 million somoni.  The government has already allocated these funds to Tilloi Tojik.

He added that 300 million somoni have been allocated from the national budget this year for modernization of the enterprise and production purposes.  Kabirov believes the new equipment will enable Tilloi Tojik to increase its production of gold.

Tilloi Tojik produces gold from its alluvial operation at the Yakhsou deposit, located in Khatlon province in southern Tajikistan.  All the company’s product goes to replenishing Tajikistan’s gold reserves.

At present three gold mining companies are operating in Tajikistan: Tilloi Tojik; Tajik-Chinese JV Zeravshan Gold Company (ZGC); and Tajik-Canadian JV Aprelevka.

Tajikistan has 28 known gold deposits containing an estimated 429.3 tons of gold. The country now produces just 1.6 tons of gold per year, most of which comes from the Jilau deposit operated by ZGC.