BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 13. Azerbaijan International Mining Company Limited (AIMC), a subsidiary of British gold mining company Anglo-Asian Mining (AAM), has received permission from the Azerbaijani government to increase the height of the existing tailings dam at the nation's Gadabay deposit, Trend reports.
According to AAM, AIMC has received technical confirmation from the Ministry of Emergency Situations and a positive environmental report from Azerbaijan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources to increase the height of the existing tailings dam.
"The State Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning and Gadabay district executive authority must approve construction before it begins, although administrative formalities are anticipated to be fulfilled soon," the information says.
Furthermore, it is noted that AIMC has previously applied to the Government of Azerbaijan for permission to increase the height of the existing tailings dam, which is almost full. It is planned to increase the height by seven meters to provide sufficient storage capacity for 2–3 years of production activity.
"This will result in the dam wall reaching its final design height. The increase will be carried out in two phases, with the first phase being 2.5 meters, which is scheduled to be completed in about three months after receiving the permit," the information noted.
To note, the PSA-type contract was signed on August 21, 1997, and included the development of six fields. Azerbaijan's share in the contract is 51 percent, and Anglo Asian Mining PLC's is 49 percent. Currently, AAM owns the rights to develop eight contractual areas in Azerbaijan, but the mining of precious metals is carried out only in two of them: "Gadabay" and "Gosha."
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