MINING MINISTER WORKS AT ERDENET MINING CORPORATION

Ulaanbaatar/MONTSAME/ On December 14, Mining and Heavy Industry Minister D.Sumiyabazar worked at Erdenet Mining Corporation (EMC). According to the last year’s statistics, the EMC produced 28 percent of Mongolia’s industrial output and 11 percent of export products. So far, EMC has excavated approximately 800 million tons of ore in total. During a visitation to the EMC, EMC Director General Kh.Badamsuren said, “As an electricity sub-station is incapable to supply whole deposit with energy, 48MW power plant has been built and it will be soon put into operation. The deposit is currently presumed to have approximately 700 million tons of copper ore reserve under the ground. The reserve is possibly be fully exploited after expanding the deposit or transferring into deep mine.” For this reason, the EMC doubled its geological explorations from last year, conducting works worth USD6 million. The Minister said, “As Erdenet is a group of deposits, it is important to satisfy livelihoods of 110 thousand residents here, improve explorations of EMC and introduce advanced technology and machines.” After seeing operations of the EMC’s open pit mine, concentrate plant and repair workshop, the Minister visited ‘Erdmin’ and ‘Achit ikht’ companies that are utilizing the EMC’s low-grade waste ore. Low- grade waste ore of the open-pit mine of the EMC has been accumulated for over 30 years. The companies are putting the dump of low-grade waste ore into economic circulation and producing London Metal Exchange Grade ‘A’ cathode copper. The Minister instructed authorities of the companies to conduct operations with low negative impact on environment and develop accountable mining. M. Unurzul