The Oyu Tolgoi mine is located in southern Mongolia, approximately:
- 550 kilometers south of the capital city Ulaanbaatar
- 80 kilometers north of the Chinese border
- In the South Gobi Desert, within the Khanbogd sum (district) of the Ömnögovi Province (aimag)
The mine is situated in a remote area, with the nearest town being Khanbogd, which is about 35 kilometers away. Oyu Tolgoi is one of the largest copper-gold mines in the world and is operated by Turquoise Hill Resources, with the Mongolian government owning a significant stake.
The total reserves of the mine are estimated at 80 billion pounds of copper and 45 million ounces of gold.
The Oyut deposit consists of the most mineralised domain, Southwest Oyu (Southwest), as well as lesser, fault-bounded zones and the South, Wedge, and Central Oyu (Central) domains. The majority of these domains are included in the open pit.
Open pit mining began at Oyu Tolgoi in 2011 and the copper concentrator, the largest industrial complex ever built in Mongolia, began processing mined ore into copper concentrate in 2013. Current infrastructure at Oyu Tolgoi will allow the mine to operate for decades to come.
In March 2023, underground production began at Oyu Tolgoi, making it a high-performing surface and underground integrated copper business and one of the most important copper producers in the world. With the integration of the underground project, a refreshed long-term strategy for Oyu Tolgoi has been released.
The strategy named “Creating Prosperity Together”, which was developed in consultation with the Oyu Tolgoi Board of Directors, unites our stakeholders under a shared purpose, ensuring we are prepared to achieve our full potential and deliver on our commitments.
Oyu Tolgoi is jointly owned by the government of Mongolia, which has 34% ownership, and Rio Tinto, which owns 66%. Rio Tinto manages the operation on behalf of the owners.
Sources:
- Rio Tinto
- Mining Intelligence and News
