Azeri ministry finds 30 new mineral deposits
MPA news agency
27 Jun 05
Baku, 27 June: Thirty new precious metal and mineral deposits have
been discovered in Azerbaijan over the last three years, Azerbaijani
Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Huseyn Bagirov has told
journalists. Four of them are gold-bearing mines, he said.
Talks are under way with foreign companies on the exploitation of the
Covdar gold-bearing field. According to the outcome of an assessment,
the reserves of the deposit equal those of all the other gold-bearing
fields in Azerbaijan. Foreign companies are also showing interest in
Naxcivan’s Baskand gold-bearing mine, with the estimated reserves of
300-350 t.
Azerbaijan has a contract for the development of gold-bearing mines.
Under the contract signed on 21 August 1997 between the state concern
Azariqizil (dissolved, its functions have been handed over to the
Economic Development Ministry) and the R.V. Investment Group Services
LLS (Azerbaijan owns 51 per cent of shares and the US company 49 per
cent), nine gold-bearing fields with the estimated reserves of 400
t of gold, 2,500 t of silver and 1.5m t of copper are to be mined.
Three deposits (Qizilbulaq, Soyudlu and Vecnali) in Zangilan and
Kalbcar Districts are under the Armenian occupation.