Deccan Gold begins production trials at Kyrgyzstan gold project
New Delhi [India]December 22 (ANI): India’s Deccan Gold Mines Ltd on Monday said it has started pre-commissioning trials at the Altyn Tor Gold Project in Kyrgyzstan, marking a significant step towards full-scale gold production and advancing one of India’s first overseas gold mining investments, according to an official statement.
The company said pre-commissioning activities will be carried out sequentially, starting with the crushing, grinding and gravity concentration circuits, followed by the leaching circuit, depending on prevailing weather conditions.
In the pre-commissioning phase, Deccan Gold expects to process approximately 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes of ore with an average grade of just over 1.0 grams per tonne of gold. The company said the gold recovered during the trials will be produced as salable concentrate or dore bars, providing early validation of process performance ahead of phased deployment.
The miner added that the mining team has completed its targeted mining volume for this year, with analysis results from the recently completed resource drilling program expected in the coming weeks and may inform future planning and optimization initiatives.
Commenting on this milestone, Managing Director Hanuma Prasad Modali said: “The start of pre-commissioning trials at Altyn Tor represents more than an operational milestone; it reflects India’s growing ability to meaningfully participate in the global gold mining value chain. As the first Indian mining company to establish a presence in Kyrgyzstan, we see this project as a bridge built on technical excellence, mutual trust and long-term value creation between two resource-rich countries.”
He added: “Altyn Tor demonstrates how responsible mining, cross-border collaboration and disciplined execution can come together to create sustainable outcomes. As we move towards deployment, our focus remains on building a globally reliable mining presence while strengthening India’s international footprint while delivering lasting benefits to local communities in Kyrgyzstan.”
Deccan Gold’s investment in Avelum Partners, the developer and operator of the Altyn Tor Gold Project, represents the first overseas investment by an Indian mining and exploration company in Kyrgyzstan, strengthening the economic and strategic ties between the two countries.
The Altyn Tor deposit is located within the Soltan Sary gold zone, which is part of the highly mineralized Tien Shan Cutting Zone extending over 300 km. The deposit currently hosts an estimated resource of 4.65 million tonnes at 1.21 grams per tonne of gold, or approximately 180,000 ounces.
Listed on India’s BSE, Deccan Gold Mines Ltd is India’s first and only listed gold exploration company. Founded in 2003, the company has a portfolio of gold and mineral exploration assets across India and internationally, including projects in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh, as well as offshore assets in Mozambique, Kyrgyzstan and Finland. (MOMENT)
