Today, Rosgeo has made a three-year contract for geological-geophysical and geological-engineering surveys to develop the mineral resources base of Erdenet Mining Corporation (EMC) in Mongolia.

Sergey Gorkov, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Rosgeo, and Khookhor Badamsuren, Director General of Erdenet Corporation, signed this contract in the presence of Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, and Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Prime Minister of Mongolia.

"The signed contract is the first step towards the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement signed in September this year, in the field of geological study of the subsoil resources in Mongolia," — Sergey Gorkov. "We see great prospects for the implementation of other projects in Mongolia considering the high potential of the Country's mineral resources base and broad competences of Rosgeo in the field of comprehensive geological exploration using advanced techniques and technologies.”

According to the Contract, Rosgeo will perform the geological exploration, including analysis of the geological and geophysical data on the ore route, refinement of the 3D geological and structural model, metallogenic forecasting, geophysical explorations for deep-seated ore features within the deposit and adjacent territories.

Under the Contract, it is planned to conduct the engineering and geological surveys and evaluation of the man-made mineral formations of the Erdenet EMC mining and smelting plant, as regards the content of valuable elements.

In September 2019, Rosgeo and the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia made an Agreement of Cooperation in the field of geological exploration in Mongolia, during the visit of Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation to Mongolia. The Agreement has defined the principal areas for cooperation between the Parties, among which are geological prospecting and explorations for oil and gas deposits, solid minerals, reproduction of mineral and raw resources of basic, rare and precious metals, construction and process materials, and agrochemical raw materials.

Background:

Geological explorations of the Erdenetiin Ovoo copper and molybdenum ore deposit in Mongolia have begun in the late 1950s. The first phase of Erdenet Mining Corporation was put into operation in 1978. Currently, Erdenet is one of the largest plants in Asia for mining and processing of copper and molybdenum ore. EMC processes 26 mln tons of ore, produces about 530 thous. tons of copper concentrate and about 4.5 thous. tons of molybdenum concentrate per year. Under the inter-governmental agreement, Erdenet was a Soviet-Mongolian joint venture (with a USSR's share – 51%) till 1992, and then a Mogolian-Russian joint venture (with a Russia's share – 49%). Since 2016 Erdenet Mining Corporation has been 100%-owned by Mongolia.