Bozshakol GOK to reach its projected capacity in 2017

​The reaching the stage of commercial production of copper concentrate will happen in 2016, reaching the full project capacity is planned for 2017, KAZ Minerals reports.

The Bozshakol copper deposit in the Pavlodar region is one of the largest non-developed deposits in the world. The period of operation is over 40 years. The construction of the mine started in 2012. It was reported that in December 2015 the start-up and commissioning works started at the processing plant, and in February the first copper concentrate was produced.

When the plant reaches full capacity, it plans to produce 20 wagons of copper concentrate a day.

The Bozshakol GOK plans to produce 45-65 thousand tons of copper in cathode equivalent and 50-70 thousand ounces of gold in ingots equivalent. The deposit will provide the growth similar to more than double increase of the current production volume of KAZ Minerals.

The finished products will be exported to China. The company is working out the issue of concentrate processing in Kazakhstan as the existing copper smelting production capacities don’t suit for copper smelting from the Bozshakol concentrate due to the high sulfur contents.