The discovery of the “Muruntov” deposit in Uzbekistan was recognized by the international geological community as the largest discovery in the field of precious metals in the second half of the 20th century, and the construction and commissioning of Hydrometallurgical Plant No. 2 was a continuation of these discoveries. The Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combine was tasked with building a gold mining complex consisting of a gold mine, a hydrometallurgical plant, the Amu Darya-Zarafshan waterworks, and the city of Zarafshan. Today, this huge mining and processing complex has a strong place in the development of the economy of Uzbekistan.

Kyzylkum desert. Barren areas adjacent to the sloping hills. In 1958, the first quartz bodies containing industrial metals were mined from the “Muruntov” deposit. The geological excavations and drilling work carried out bore fruit, and the world-famous “Muruntov” deposit was discovered. As a result of geological and mining work carried out since 1965, the mine was prepared for industrial production, a high-voltage power line and the first water pipeline from the Amu Darya river were laid. On March 1, 1967, the first mass explosion was carried out at the “Muruntov” open-pit mine, and along with the start of open-pit mining, the construction of the 2nd Hydrometallurgical Plant began. July 21, 1969, was a date that will forever remain etched in the lives of the team that was determined to search for the natural resources hidden in the depths of the deserts and develop them for the future of the country and the well-being of people. On this day, the first ingot of gold from the “Muruntov” mine, weighing 11 kilograms and 820 grams, was obtained. Later, the high quality of the products from the Kyzylkum desert was recognized by international organizations. In 1993, for the high quality of the products, it was awarded the “Diamond Star” (Brazil) and the “Best Trademark” and “Highest Commercial Reputation” marks (Spain). In 1998, it was successfully certified by the Tokyo Industrial Products Exchange. This, in turn, led to the fact that the 999.9 pure gold of the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Plant JSC is recognized worldwide as a high-quality product. In 2023, the London Bullion Market Association reaffirmed its “Optimal Delivery” status.

Today, in this huge modern mining, transportation and processing industrial complex, dedicated people of more than 30 nationalities, who are able to solve complex technical and engineering problems in any weather conditions, are working. Their efforts fully implement the technological processes, from mining, transporting, and crushing ores containing precious metals to producing high-quality gold bullion.

At the same time, the “Muruntov” mine has a depth of more than 675 meters. Its dimensions are 5.2 kilometers from southeast to north, 3.4 kilometers from northeast to south, and 4.1 kilometers from east to north. About 2 billion cubic meters of rocks have been mined since the day the mine was put into operation. The mining-geological and mining-technical solutions used within the framework of the fifth stage of mine development, which is one of the plant’s important investment projects, which began in 2020, will allow the mine depth to be increased to 1,000 meters in the future.

The quality of our gold is guaranteed, first and foremost, by the significant contribution of the workers of Hydrometallurgical Plant No. 2, one of the largest gold production complexes in the world, who contribute to the production of each ingot of genuine metal with their honest labor. As a result of the daily planned work of the entire team, which combines high organization, strong discipline and responsibility in production, practical work has been carried out in recent years to increase production volumes. Work on increasing the production capacity and reconstruction of the plant is being carried out without stopping the main production. In particular, the volume of finished products is being increased due to the introduction of new, modern technologies. For the first time in the development of heavy engineering in Uzbekistan, a unique mill with a capacity of more than 580 tons, as well as the necessary equipment and spare parts for mills, are being localized and manufactured at the Navoi Machine-Building Plant and the Zarafshan Repair and Mechanical Plant. This is the basis for Uzbekistan to become one of the countries producing heavy mining equipment.

Article by – Jasur Abdullaev, Director of Hydrometallurgical Plant No. 2