S. Korea to help clean Mongolian mining areas

By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Mine Reclamation Corp. (MIRECO) said
Wednesday it will conduct cleanup operations in Mongolia's coal and oil
development regions.
The state-run corporation said it has signed cooperative pacts with Mongolia's
fuel energy ministry and mineral resources and oil development agencies, allowing
work to begin in three coal mining regions near Ulan Bator and one area polluted
by crude oil.
"On-site inspections will be carried out until April 6 to determine what course
of action should be taken to reclaim polluted land and water," a MIRECO spokesman
said. He added that the agreement is noteworthy because it is the first overseas
reclamation pact secured by a local company, and is a testament to the skill
acquired in this field by local experts.
"The cleanup operations could also help win similar deals in Mongolia and nearby
China that can translate into business opportunities and help create work," he
said.
Mongolia has roughly 3,000 mineral mines currently in operation that could
require reclamation work down the road.
The country is estimated to have oil reserves of 4.4 billion barrels, with daily
production hitting 200,000 barrels as of 2005. The country also has extensive
coal deposits.
South Korean companies, meanwhile, have signed several pacts to develop coal,
coal bed methane gas and uranium in the landlocked country.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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