Kyrgyzstan’s state-run company Kyrgyzaltyn has received a license to explore and develop the Tash-Bulak block of the Kyzyl-Ompol uranium deposit, announced Deputy Board Chairman Narynbek Satybaldiyev at a press conference on Thursday.
The Kyzyl-Ompol deposit, which includes titanomagnetite, uranium, phosphorus, and zirconium, will be the focus of Kyrgyzaltyn’s new project. Satybaldiyev noted that while the company has just obtained the license, no immediate work is underway. The company must first prepare a project plan and pass an examination before commencing operations. Kyrgyzaltyn is considering whether to develop the deposit independently or seek external investment, with decisions to be made based on Kyrgyzstan’s economic and national interests.
This development follows President Sadyr Japarov’s decision to lift the uranium mining moratorium on June 27. The moratorium had been imposed following protests and a ban on uranium mining after UrAsia received a license to explore the Kyzyl-Ompol deposit in 2019. The protests led to a temporary halt in uranium mining activities.
In February 2024, President Japarov revisited the issue during a meeting with residents of Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions, highlighting the project’s potential economic benefits for the country.
The Kyzyl-Ompol deposit is known to contain 14.7 million tonnes of ore, with titanomagnetite making up 95% of the total, phosphorus approximately 3%, zirconium nearly 2%, thorium 0.22%, and uranium 0.17%.
