Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Oct. 6 / Trend D. Azizov /
Australian Rio Tinto intends to invest up to $100 million in copper exploration operations in Uzbekistan, Rio Tinto General Manager for Central Asia Chris Welton said at the international conference Uzgeoinvest-2011 in Tashkent on Thursday.
He said that Rio Tinto expects to get a license for geological exploration at the promising area Gava in Namangan region by late 2011. The term of license is five years.
"These investments will be made if there are positive results of exploration," he said.
The company plans to launch exploration operations in the area of Gava in spring 2012, he said.
"We plan to spend $1 million for the first year," he said. After getting the positive results, our investments in exploration will increase to $100 million."