Kyrgyzaltyn OJSC received 15 licenses for deposit development and geological exploration. Among them is a license for uranium development. The Deputy Chairman of the Board of the company Narynbek Satybaldiev announced at a press conference.
According to him, the licenses were obtained thanks to government reforms in the field of subsoil use. According to the new rules, companies with a state share of 50 percent or more can receive licenses for the right to use subsoil for geological exploration and development of mineral deposits without a mandatory tender or auction. Mandatory state participation in the development of large and medium-sized gold and silver deposits must be at least 30 percent.
«As a result of changes in regulatory legal acts, Kyrgyzaltyn received 15 licenses for geological exploration and deposit development,» Narynbek Satybaldiev told.
Among them are the following deposits:
- Gold — Unkurtash (Unkurtash, Karatyube, Sarytyube) with metal reserves of 86 tons;
- Gold and copper — Terek and Karakala;
- Gold — Chakush;
- Gold and polymetals — Mironovskoye;
- Quartzite — Baladzhan;
- Quartz — Chekchei;
- Coal — Minteke.
It should be noted that the licenses received include a permit for Tash-Bulak site of Kyzyl Ompol uranium deposit. In mid-June 2024, former Minister of Natural Resources Melis Turgunbaev reported that additional exploration of reserves would be carried out at the deposit. Earlier, YurAsia company was going to develop Tash-Bulak deposit of the Kyzyl-Ompol group of uranium-thorianite placers. It was planned to process it at Kara-Balta Mining Plant. However, Kyrgyzstanis were categorically against the project. The company then suspended operations until the situation changed. The company’s license for geological exploration of the deposit was temporarily suspended.
In the spring of 2019, a number of rallies were held in Kyrgyzstan against the project on the development of Tash-Bulak uranium deposit in Issyk-Kul region. The result of numerous protests was the revocation of the uranium development license. Later, a law prohibiting the exploration and development of uranium and thorium deposits was passed in the country.
The bill «On amendments to certain legislative acts (the Code of Offenses, the Law «On Subsoil») and invalidation of the Law «On Prohibition of Activities Related to the Geological Survey of Subsoil for the Purpose of Search, Exploration and Development of Uranium and Thorium deposits in the Kyrgyz Republic» was submitted to the Parliament in mid-May. The regulatory legal act was initiated by the Cabinet of Ministers.
