Kazakhstan's Altynalmas launches second stage of Akbakai gold recovery plant

ALMATY. Aug 8 (Interfax) - AK Altynalmas JSC has put the second stage of the Akbakai gold recovery plant in Kazakhstan's Zhambyl region into operation, the company said in a press release on Monday.

"Following the commissioning of the second stage, Akbakai will increase ore processing volumes to 1.2 million tonnes from today's 850,000 tonnes per year. [...] The project will create an additional 90 jobs," Bagdat Bakhramov, Altynalmas managing director for the Karaganda and Zhambyl regions, was quoted as saying.

The Akbakai deposit was discovered in the Zhambyl region in 1968 by well-known geologist Dubek Duesenbekov. Development of the deposit began in 1975.

"Construction of the new state-of-the-art ore processing facility followed the discovery of new ore reserves in Akbakai. The Akbakai gold recovery plant processes the ores from the Akbakai, Beskempir, Kariernoye, East Akbakai, and Olympiyskoye deposits," the press release said.

Following consolidation with Kazakhaltyn Mining and Metallurgical Complex JSC, Ak Altynalmas JSC produced about 370,000 ounces of gold in 2021. The company's production guidance for 2022 is around 450,000 oz.

Altynalmas operates a number of gold mines in Kazakhstan: Akbakai in the Zhambyl region, Pustynnoye in the Karaganda region, Mizek in the East Kazakhstan region, and the Aksu and Kazakhaltyn projects in the Akmola region. The Dore gold produced is further refined at the gold refinery plant owned by Tau-Ken Altyn LLP in the capital city of Nur-Sultan.