The Tank Leaching Plant constructed at the Çovdar Integrated Regional Processing Facility (ÇİRES) in the Daşkesen region by AzerGold CJSC has commenced full-scale operations.
Economy Minister Mikayıl Cabbarov, Chairman of the State Property Service under the Ministry of Economy, AzerGold CJSC Supervisory Board Chairman Metin Eynullayev, Daşkesen District Executive Authority Head Orkhan Abbasov, and AzerGold CJSC Chairman Zakir Ibrahimov inspected the activities of the plant, which will process precious metal ores using the Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) technology. They also reviewed the production and waste management process at the Çovdar mine. The inspection tour included Professor Xuan Ximenez from Harvard Kennedy School and researchers from the Harvard Center for International Development Laboratory.
The plant was constructed to enhance efficiency in processing precious metal ores extracted from the gold mines in Daşkesen and Göygöl regions. The required funding of 383 million manat for the project was provided from internal resources by AzerGold CJSC. The project, which contributes to regional employment, created 101 new permanent jobs, bringing the total number of citizens employed under the Çovdar project to nearly 2400.
Since commencing production at the Çovdar gold mine in 2017, AzerGold CJSC has conducted extensive geological surveys in the deposit. As a result, gold reserves have been increased, and the Ağyoxuş gold deposit group and the Mərəh gold deposit have been discovered. The Tülallar gold deposit, identified as a potential ore area in the 1980s, has been extensively researched to meet modern requirements. These three deposits have also been put into operation. In addition to oxidized ores, the mine’s operational period has been extended until 2029 by increasing the saleable gold reserves from 179 thousand ounces to 609 thousand ounces through transit and sulfide ores. The total gold reserves have reached 778 thousand ounces due to the surrounding mines.
In 2020, ÇİRES was established based on the Çovdar Ore Processing Site to centralize material and technical resources during the processing of valuable ores. The new plant, built on a total area of 535 hectares, aims to achieve optimal ore processing through technological methods. With an annual ore processing capacity of 1.1 million tons, the plant will achieve up to 90% gold recovery depending on the ore composition and metallurgical properties.
During the project’s implementation, all safety norms were strictly followed. The State Environmental Expertise Agency of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources approved the production’s compliance with environmental norms and standards. A suitable management system has been established to ensure the health and safety of the employees at the plant.
The tank leaching technology at ÇİRES was designed based on the technological design provided by a British company and monitored by a Korean company. Constructed with the main contractor being a Turkish company and equipped with modern equipment from Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, and Turkey, the plant and auxiliary infrastructure facilities were fully prepared within 22 months.
The full-scale operation of the new plant will contribute to regional socio-economic development and increase the export potential of precious metals.
