DUSHANBE, March 29, 2014, Asia-Plus -- A special government commission of Tajikistan will consider the issue of granting license for development of the alluvial placer gold deposit “Rangkul” in the Murgab district of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) in the near future, according to the Main Geology Directorate under the Government of Tajikistan.

An official source at the Main Geology Directorate says that several local and foreign companies are participating in the tender for the license for development of the deposit.  “The possible gold reserves of this deposit are not so large – only 1,200 kilograms,” he noted.

According to some data, 3 million U.S. dollars will be needed for the first stage.

Tajikistan reportedly has possible placer gold reserves of some 100 tons.  The alluvial placer gold deposits are located in the north and southeast of the country and Tajik geologists say that development of those deposits will created more than 1,500 new jobs.

Typical locations for alluvial gold placer deposits are on the inside bends of rivers and creeks, in natural hollows; at the break of slope on a stream; the base of an escarpment, waterfall or other barrier; and within sand dunes, beach profiles or gravel beds.

Tajikistan reportedly has 28 known gold deposits containing an estimated 429.3 tons of gold.  Since 2010, Tajikistan has produced on average 2,000 kilograms of gold per year, most of which comes from the Jilau deposit in northern Tajikistan, which is operated by Tajik-Chinese gold-mining joint venture, Zeravshan Gold Company (ZGC).