By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan's AzerGold CJSC Board Chairman Zakir Ibrahimov has said that a Turkish company will build an ore processing plant in the country's Chovdar field, Trend has reported.

He noted that the sulfide phase of the Chovdar field and the side sections, the near and far flanks, were examined during the year in order to ensure stable operation at the ore processing site.

Studies on the selection of the most efficient technology were conducted with the participation of an international consulting firm in order to organize the processing of the ore volumes. The best CIL method (coal sorption technology) was chosen as the technology, Ibrahimov said.

"An international consulting company has carried out preliminary design work on organizing production using this method. A contract has been signed with the Turkish company Margo Construction in accordance with the procurement procedures for the construction of the plant and related infrastructure," he said.

The board chairman added that the plant, which will be put into operation in late 2022- early 2023, plans to process ore from the sulfide phase of the Chovdar, Marakh, Agekhush 2, Tulallar fields, as well as ores from the potentially gold-bearing Narimanli field. Recalling that the field was discovered in 2021 following the geological exploration, he added that currently, rock samples taken from the Narimanli field are being analyzed in an international laboratory.

The board chairman said that the plant, which is set to open in late 2022 - early 2023, will process ore from the sulfide phases of the Chovdar, Marakh, Agekhush 2, and Tulallar fields, as well as ores from the potentially gold-bearing Narimanli field. He recalled that the field was discovered in 2021 as a result of geological exploration, and that rock samples taken from the Narimanli field are currently being analyzed in an international laboratory.

“Based on the results of the analysis, it is scheduled to calculate the resources in accordance with international standards and develop a mining project in 2022, prepare a resource report on the deposit and complete the production plan in 2023,” he said.

Additionally, he said that gold reserves of 470,000 ounces have been confirmed in the Chovdar field together with reserves of 212,000 ounces that can be sold.

Earlier, Ibrahimov also stated that as a result of additional research, exploration and optimization of deposits conducted by the company in recent years, reserves of commercial gold in the oxide (surface) phase of the Chovdar deposit have increased from 179,000 to 212,000 ounces.

Azerbaijan and Turkey cooperate in a variety of economic fields and have completed major energy and infrastructure projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, and TANAP.

Azerbaijan and Turkey signed the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations on June 15, 2021, which focuses on defence cooperation, regional stability and prosperity, and the establishment of new transportation routes.

The two countries agreed to set a target of $15 billion in mutual trade turnover by 2023. It should be noted that, so far, Turkey is Azerbaijan's second-largest investor followed by the United Kingdom.

Furthermore, Turkey was among the first countries to express an interest in and willingness to participate in the restoration of Azerbaijan's liberated territories.