Energy

The 2011 autumn session of Mongolia’s parliament, the Grand Huraal, began with a shot heard across the globe. Prime Minister S. Batbold’s opening remarks on October 6 called for a major change to the mining agreement that had promised to put Mongolia on the map. On the advice of a group of about 20 parliamentarians, he said the country should seek a...

With Mongolia’s mining sector suddenly drawing international attention, one frequently asked question is whether or not the country can provide a steady supply of rare-earth minerals – a list of 17 elements crucial to the large-scale manufacturing of a wide range of items. Ramping up exploration for this set of crucial raw materials is one of...

Mongolia will soon be one of the world’s key producers of coking coal, one of the two main ingredients for making steel. In 2011 the country overtook Australia as the single largest supplier of coking coal to China, the world’s biggest importer. As of late 2011 local coal mining firms were reporting lower prices than earlier in the year, as Europe’s...

As the mining sector moves from potential to actual production, one of the main challenges is to streamline the licensing system. Decisions in the past have left the country exposed to licence hoarding, environmental concerns and corruption.

One of the top priorities in Mongolia in 2012 will be resolving the issue of development and production at Tavan Tolgoi (TT), the world’s largest undeveloped coal deposit, which holds an estimated 6.4bn tonnes of coking and thermal coal.

Mining is not as labour-intensive as most other economic activities. Although the mining sector is expected to propel Mongolia’s economy forward in leaps, it is not forecast to be a major driver of employment. In the mining services niche, however, it is anticipated that many of the country’s small-scale entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized...