Mongolia and Russia copper venture 2009 output flat

Reuters reported that Mongolia's top mining company, Erdenet Mining Corporation produced 126,485 tonnes of copper in concentrate last year, practically unchanged from the 126,796 tonnes produced in 2008.

Erdenet said in a statement published that it processed 25.9 million tonnes of ore in 2009 up slightly from 25.6 million tonnes in 2008.

Erdenet, 400 kilometers northwest of the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator is a 51:49 JV between the Mongolian government and Russian state conglomerate Russian Technologies. The company said that it produces 7% of the world's copper concentrate and 5% of its molybdenum concentrate.

Erdenet produced 533,083 tonnes of concentrate in 2009 up from 525,264 tonnes per year before. Copper content in the ore declined to 0.594% from 0.588% while content in concentrate declined to 23.73% from 24.14%.

It said that molybdenum in concentrate output rose to 2,409 tonnes in 2009 from 1,900 tonnes in 2008.
(Sourced from Reuters)