Mining in Tajikistan
History
The mining industry reached a notable level in the 9th–11th centuries, visible by ancient mining openings and metallurgical operations. These are evident in the Karamazar Mountains' Mansura mine, in the
Rare metals were not mined in Tajikistan before the World War II. The output of concentrates of rare metals in 1943, however, exceeded that of 1941 by sixty times, and that of 1942 by ten times.[6]
No copper, molybdenum, tungsten, or zinc has been produced in recent years and mining activity since the 1990s has been severely disrupted due to
Minerals
Gold
Silver
Proven silver reserves at Big Kon-i Mansur (کلان کان منصور) were determined during the Soviet era at about 50,000 tonnes, according to Tajikistan's Main Directorate of Geology (MDG). That total equals about 49g of silver per tonne of ore. The same tonne contains 480g of lead and 380g of zinc. The deposit has one billion tonnes of ore. The silver deposit is the world's second largest, according to the Tajik government. The world's most productive silver mine is Cannington in Australia. However, Soviet-era projections took only the most conservative estimates into account, geologists say; the ore could be richer than the Soviet estimates.[10]
Aluminium
The
Uranium
Uranium and graphite was formerly exploited by the Soviets, northeast of
Other
Mercury was mined at the
Rare metals reserves of
Strontium deposits have been established in the southern region of Tajikistan in the Chilkultan and Davgir region and these deposits are in the process of commercial exploitation.
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Spinel on pyrrhotite
Fossil fuels
Waste management
Heavy metals from mining can be harmful to the environment when left exposed, and failures to manage wastes may cause pollution. Wastes from the Anzob processing plant contain antimony, mercury, and sulfates. Wastes from the Adrasman plant contain cadmium, lead, and zinc. Wastes from the Leninabad rare metals plant contain cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, and tungsten. Wastes from the Takob smelter contain lead and zinc.[15] Mining and heavy industry in the Ferghana Valley have contaminated the soil with toxic heavy metals.[17]
Gallery
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Bridge from Siafark to the mine.
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Destruction of machinery during Civil War in Tajikistan.
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Tajik soldiers guarding the Darwaz mine.
References
- ^ a b c d "Mining in Tajikistan". Mbendi Information Services. Archived from the original on 28 February 2001. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4113-2966-9. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g "The Mineral Industry of Tajikistan". United States Geological Survey (USGS). Retrieved 19 April 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-415-26964-3. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-19-927101-6. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ Canadian Mining Institute (1946). Canadian mining journal. Southam Business Communications. p. 624. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Tajikistan – Mining". Nations Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ a b "Tajikistan discovers two large gold deposits". China Mining Federation. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ "Tajikistan Increased Export of Precious Metals by 30%". The Gazette of Central Asia. Satrapia. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ "Tajikistan Has High Hopes for Kon-i Mansur Silver Mine". The Gazette of Central Asia. Satrapia. 10 March 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-7494-4063-3. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ^ "Tajik Aluminum Ball Mill". Aucom. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-540-87745-5. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ^ "Why Tajikist?z". Mining World Tajikistan. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
- ^ a b Curtin, Molly (1 July 2001). Environmental profile of Tajikistan. Asian Development Bank. p. 14. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-8213-3105-7. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-7167-7792-2. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
External links
- More information from USGS