JAN. 23 2013 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Kazakh atomic agency, Kazatomprom, announced another new production high for uranium last year, underlining Kazakhstan’s importance to the global nuclear industry. In 2012, Kazatomprom, said that Kazakhstan produced 20,900 tonnes of uranium, up from 19,450 tonnes in 2010 and representing 37% of world supplies.
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(News report from Issue No. 121, published on Jan. 25 2013)
DEC. 12 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp sacked three executives for their role in alleged bribe paying in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to win contracts, media reported. The news once again highlights a culture of corruption that still exists in Central Asia.
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(News report from Issue No. 117, published on Dec. 14 2012)
NOV. 29 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Villagers in south Kyrgyzstan have attacked and set fire to a camp used by geologists working for a Russian gold mining company, Reuters reported, dealing another blow to foreign investor confidence. Local people have previously attacked foreign mining operations, blaming them for environmental damage.
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(News report from Issue No. 115, published on Nov. 30 2012)
OCT. 1 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyzstan’s new PM, Zhantoro Satibaldiyev, pledged not to nationalise the country’s biggest economic asset — the Kumtor gold mine. Toronto-based Centerra Gold owns Kumtor, which contributes about an eighth of Kyrgyzstan’s national GDP.
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(News report from Issue No. 107, published on Oct. 5 2012)
OCT. 3 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyz police fired tear gas in Bishkek to disperse about 2,000 people who were calling for the overthrow of the government after it pledged not to nationalise the Kumtor gold mine, media reported. About 200 people tried to climb over a fence surrounding the government’s headquarters in the worst violence in Bishkek since a revolution in 2010.
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(News report from Issue No. 107, published on Oct. 5 2012)
SEP. 21 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Kumtor gold mine, Kyrgyzstan’s largest industrial operation, started production after a closure lasting seven weeks, media reported. Kumtor, owned by Toronto-based Centerra Gold, stopped production of gold in mid-July because of a lack of ore to process.
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(News report from Issue No. 106, published on Sep. 28 2012)
AUG. 28 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Nationalist protesters broke into a TV studio in Bishkek shortly before it was due to stage Kyrgyzstan’s first live auction of mining rights. Scuffles broke out and the auction had to be abandoned, dealing another blow to Kyrgyzstan’s foreign investor image.
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(News report from Issue No. 103, published on Aug. 31 2012)
JULY 30 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Canadian miner Stans Energy threatened legal action against the Kyrgyz parliament after it annulled a mining licence. The row deals another blow to Kyrgyzstan’s business reputation. Earlier this year, Kyrgyzstan said it wanted larger payments from its biggest investor Centerra Gold, another Canadian miner.
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(News report from Issue No. 099, published on Aug. 3 2012)
JULY 24 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Gold producer Highland Gold, 40% owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich through his investment vehicle Millhouse Capital, won licences to produce gold at its two exploration sites in Kyrgyzstan. Tenders on a series of other Kyrgyz gold mining prospects are expected to be handed out next month.
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(News report from Issue No. 098, published on July 27 2012)
JULY 17 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – South Africa-based Gold Fields is preparing to buy the 40% of the Talas gold mine in Kyrgyzstan it doesn’t already own for $10m from London- based Orsu Metals, the companies said. Gold mining is important to the Kyrgyz economy although there have recently been a series of high-profile set backs for investors. Last year armed horse riders raided the Talas gold mine.
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(News report from Issue No. 097, published on July 20 2012)