Erdenet Mining Corporation is a mining corporation in Erdenet, Mongolia. The city was built in 1974 to exploit Asia's largest deposit of copper ore and is the fourth largest copper mine in the world. The Erdenet Mining Corporation is a joint Mongolian-Russian venture and accounts for a majority of Mongolia's hard currency income. Erdenet mines 22.23 million tons of ore per year, producing 126,700 tons of copper and 1954 tons of molybdenum. The mine accounts for 13.5% of Mongolia's GDP and 7% of tax revenue. About 8,000 people are employed in the mine.
History
The city Erdenet and mill were built by Soviet technology with the help of Soviet specialists. The discovery of copper ore at Erdenetiyn-ovoo has its own history. According to legend, this place earlier in the Chinese miners extracted copper in earlier times, but during a storm, they were struck by lightning. Since then, the mountain Erdenetiyn-ovoo has been considered sacred, the locals performed various rituals, to the mountain to allow them to climb. The climb was forbidden to women. Geological field studies at Erdenetiyn-ovoo began in the late 1950s. In the years 1958-59 during the geological survey under the guidance of geologists and Batezatu Petrovich in Bulgan aimag Selenginskogo and geologists for the first time examined Erdenetiyn-ovoo, but it was rated not having practical value. In the early 1960s Mongolian national geological organization began to actively cooperate with the geological institutions of the European socialist countries, including Czechoslovakia. The first joint Czech-Mongolian Geological Expedition was established in Mongolia in 1962. The activity began to carry out this mission in Bulgan aimag Khubsugul and, in particular on the subject Erdenetiyn-ovoo. At this time, the expedition worked doctor, professor of geological faculty of the Prague State University M.Kuzhvart, head of the Mongol-Czechoslovak geological expedition in Mongolia M.Krauter engineer-geologist and head of the geological department of the Central Geological Survey of the Council of Ministers of the MPR Dugersuren doctor. Then they agreed to start geological investigations at the site in 1964. In 1963, Erdenetiyn ovoo within one month of work geological inspection team led by Soviet geologists Agamolyana and Ushakov. Then they made the visual geological map of 1:25000 scale of the object, and passed several pits and trenches. As a result of their work were estimated probable reserves of copper ore in the amount of 150 million tons. In the same year geological expedition led by geologist Өlzy Mongolian-UTAS conducted geological work is based on the report of the old established manufacturers and the laboratory that there are reserves of copper. In the years 1964-68 a joint Mongolian-Czechoslovak Geological Party held at the field-Erdenetiyn ovoo geological prospecting and prospect evaluation including mid-and large-scale geological and geochemical surveying, and mining and drilling operations. As a result of these studies have estimated reserves of copper-molybdenum ores in the amount of 612 million tons on C2 category. After completion of the joint Mongolian-Czechoslovak exploration party in this field has remained Mongolian exploration work under the direction of the party chief and chief engineer Tumenbayara geologist G.Sanduyzhava. This party is conducted preliminary exploration of the field, continued to conduct mining and drilling operations, and technological studies of copper-molybdenum ores. As a result, reserves were calculated copper ores in the amount of 670 million tons of C1 + C2. Then geological reconnaissance Bulgan aimag group headed by Soviet geologists E.I.Martovitskim, V.S.Kalininym and Mongolian geologist Tumenbayarom spent here a deeper intelligence work necessary for the operation of the field within 20 months. By the autumn of 1972 the size of the deposit-Erdenetiyn ovoo they estimated in 2000, length, width 500-1500, depth of 400 meters.
