Production at Kumtor outpaces expectations of Cameco, government

Output at the Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan topped 13.2 tonnes of gold as of November 1997, and is on target to produce 14.5 tonnes for its first 13 months of operation.

Production at the mine, which is a joint venture between Cameco and the Kyrgyzstani government, began in December 1996 and was expected to total 12.7 tonnes in

its first year. That figure has already been surpassed and Cameco estimates that production could increase to 16.5 tonnes in 1998, 17.5 tonnes in 1999 and as much as 18 tonnes by 2005.

Situated in the Tien Shen mountains, the mine is the country’s largest gold deposit and has an estimated mine life of 19 years.