British company AAM invests $1.8 mln in upgrading flotation plant at mine in Azerbaijan
BAKU. April 23 (Interfax) - British company Anglo Asian Mining (AAM, engaged in developing gold deposits in Azerbaijan) has invested $1.8 million in the modernization of a flotation plant at the Gedabek field, AAM said in a statement.
Modernization of the flotation plant at Gedabek is on schedule and should be completed by the end of April, AAM said. Nine new Imhoflot pneumatic flotation cells have been installed at the facility, which will provide higher extraction of gold and copper from ore compared to traditional flotation, it said.
It is noted that this will enhance AAM's ability to process high-grade ore from the Gilar deposit and the versatility of the flotation plant at Gedabek.
The work was carried out at a relatively modest cost of around $1.8 million, and in the long term will provide a noticeable improvement in the company's margin and profitability, it said.
According to AAM, as part of the modernization of the processing plants at the Gedabek and Demirli fields, the overall production capacity of the Gedabek mine has also been expanded. In particular, an Energy Efficient Pulp Lifter system was installed to increase mill productivity along with an industrial shredder, and a new licensed maintenance program was implemented.
Additional work is also planned as part of the modernization at the Gedabek tailings storage facilities, including the installation of a tailings dam monitoring system based on fiber-optic sensors.
At Demirli, two mills have been commissioned - SAG and a ball mill.
Testing of bio-heap leaching of ore (a method of extracting valuable components) is also underway, demonstrating promising results with copper extraction reaching 78%, the company said. This indicates the high potential for industrial implementation of bio-heap leaching, which continues to undergo additional assessment, it said.
According to AAM, work is also continuing on feasibility studies for the development of the Xarxar and Garadag deposits.
To this end, AAM expects to engage consultants in the coming weeks, it said.
At Garadag, pilot mining studies are currently underway. In particular, independent third-party organizations are assessing the geological and metallurgical characteristics of the deposit to ensure its most efficient development.
Planning is also underway for testing Xarxar ores for processing using the copper bio-heap leaching method, AAM said.
AAM recalled that copper will become the company's main product by 2030, with projected annual production of around 50,000-55,000 tonnes. The company plans to achieve this growth through the commissioning of three new mines between 2027 and 2030 at Xarxar, Garadag and Zafar, in addition to the recently opened Gilar and Demirli mines.
Production at the Gilar mine began in May 2025, and at the Demirli mine in July 2025.
A PSA-type contract with Anglo Asian Mining was signed in 1997 and provided for the development of six fields. Azerbaijan's share, represented in the contract by CJSC AzerGold, is 51%, while AAM's share is 49%. The company currently holds rights to develop eight contract areas - Gedabek, Demirli, Xarxar, Garadag, Gosha, Vejnaly, Ordubad and Kyzlbulag.
