Kazakhaltyn to increase gold output 5 times in 2005 to 5 tonnes

/REUTERS, Almaty, Tatyana Seroshtanova, March 9, 05/ - Kazakhstan mining-metallurgical concern Kazakhaltyn has borrowed $28 m. for building two plants of direct cyanidation and two heap leaching complexes that will let increase gold output to 5.0 tonnes in 2005 from 952 kg in 2004, company's press-service informed. "Kazakhstan commercial banks have acted as the investors, and concern's own funds are used as well", - the message says without calling exact investors. Kazakhaltyn does not call total volume of investments, however it doesn't exclude further borrowings. Building of gold extracting plants of direct cyanidation will let output 1,500 kg of gold at Aksu mine and 1,700 kg at Zholymbet mine. Both plants will use technology of mineral raw stuff sorption cyanidation that will let refine poor ores with low content of gold, the message says. Besides, due to new technologies it will be possible to refine at company's plants wastes of gold extracting plants, whose gold content is 1.0-1.2 gram per tonne. Building of heap leaching complexes at Aksu mine will let output 550 kg of gold in the first year with following increase of the volume up to 1,000 kg a year. Building of similar complex at Bestobe field will let output 1,250 kg of gold a year. According to Kazakhstan stock exchange's data, where company's bonds are circulating, according to shareholders register of Mining-metallurgical concern Kazakhaltyn JSC as of May 20 of 2004 shareholders were Romanshorn LC AG (92.9%) and Kazakhstan physical person (7.1%). Kazakhaltyn is one of five biggest gold producers in Kazakhstan, where about 30 gold extracting companies function. According to Statistics agency's data, refined gold output in the republic in the year 2004 fell to 9,579 kg from 9,906 one year before, unrefined, half-refined gold or powder gold also fell - to 18,949 kg from 19,366 one year before. [2005-03-09]