EN
ALTYN TOR GOLD PROJECT, KYRGYZSTAN
Deccan Golds 60% holding in Avelum Partners LLC, developer and operator of the Altyn Tor Gold Project, marks the first investment by an Indian mining and exploration company in Kyrgyzstan and is expected to enhance economic ties between the 2 countries.
Altyn Tor is in the Naryn region of central Kyrgyzstan, approximately six hours by road from the capital Bishkek. The deposit forms part of the highly mineralized Soltan Sary mineralization zone, which extends over 300km length and is part of the major Tien Shen Shear Zone, host to numerous world-class gold deposits. Gold mineralization is hosted in quartz, quartz-carbonate veins and stockworks.
Current mineral resources at the Project are estimated to contain 180 koz (5.6t) of gold.
| Category | Cut-off grade (Au g/t) | Tonnes (kt) | Grade (g/t Au) | Gold Content (koz) | Gold Content (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
In ground |
0.5 |
3,23 |
1.25 |
130 |
4030 |
|
Stockpiles |
0.5 |
869 |
1.00 |
30 |
869 |
|
Tailings |
– |
551 |
1.29 |
23 |
710 |
|
Content* |
0.5 |
4,650 |
1.21 |
180 |
5600 |
Mining at Altyn Tor commenced in 1993 by the State-owned, Kyrgyzaltyn OJSC. The mine produced approximately 2,200 kg of gold before its temporary closure in 2022. In that year, Avelum entered into a simple agreement with Kyrgyzaltyn to develop and operate the mine. A 2023 feasibility study demonstrated the viability of increasing gold recovery through the addition of a leaching circuit and expanding the existing open pit mine.
Currently, Avelum is upgrading and expanding the processing plant and is expecting to produce approximately 1.0t of gold per annum when in full production. Construction is well underway with plans to commission the full plant in Q1, 2026.
Concurrently, drilling programmes have demonstrated that the current mineral resource understates the true size of the deposit significantly. Recent drilling has shown extensions of the deposit to the west and below the current pit design. The high-grade intersections below the pit design could support a future underground mining, subject to further drilling planned in 2026.
Deccan Gold will update the mineral resources and develop a revised life-of-mine plan. The results of this work will be presented to the Kyrgyzstan Committee of State Reserves for authorisation to increase the life of the operation.
