Type of mineral
The main element: tungsten (W)
Associated commercial elements: molybdenum (Mo), copper (Cu), bismuth (Bi)
Brief project description
The deposit is located in the Uspenskaya shear zone and is confined to the downthrown limestone block of the Upper Devonian – Mississippian period. Late Permian granites forming the dome of Akmain landmass are encountered in the central part of the deposit at a depth of 400-600 m. Limestone forming the bulk of the deposit area is marbled and skarnified in the superintrusive zone. Skarnified veins and veinlets in the central part of the deposit form the powerful 300x400m steeply dipping southward stockwork deposit. It is traced 500m dip. The deposit thickness is reduced to the flanks and the stockwork is getting lenticular and sheetlike.
Reserves/Resorces
The volume of resources according to JORC standards of the Indicated+Inferred category is 71.4 million tons of tungsten ore (142 thousand tons of tungsten trioxide, 80 thousand tons of copper, 23.6 thousand tons of molybdenum, 13.7 thousand tons of beryllium in ore). The average content of tungsten trioxide is 0.231%.
Current status
2017 – acquisition of 100% stake in Northern Katpar LLP; development of technological regulations for the design of an enrichment plant.
2019 – completion of a complex of engineering surveys and geological exploration works; elaboration of a report on mineral resources in accordance with JORC; development of a feasibility study of industrial conditions and a report with reserves calculation; performance of engineering surveys.
2020 – completion of work on revaluation of the balance reserves of groundwater in the framework of hydrogeological studies; completion of work on determining the geomechanical justifications of the parameters of the management of the mountain range.
2021 – development of a preliminary feasibility study.
In the period 2022-2023, work is planned on the development of a feasibility study and work on the development of DED for primary infrastructure facilities.
Additional information and notes
The operator of the project is Severniy Katpar LLP, a subsidiary of JSC NMC Tau-Ken Samruk.
