– Khanbumbat Airport Development Complex is expected to open in the first quarter of 2013 –
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – Recognising Oyu Tolgoi’s Khanbumbat Airport Development Complex as one of Mongolia’s top successes, the Ministry of Construction and Urban Development awarded the project Best Regional Construction of 2012. Located in the heart of the Umnugobi Desert, once operational, the airport will improve the commerce and economic conditions in this remote location. The airport was completed under the direction of the Mongolian Company 'Arts Suvarga', a contractor of Oyu Tolgoi LLC. The airport was built in one construction season by nearly 600 Mongolian architects, engineers, and construction workers. The airport is slated to open in the first quarter of 2013.
“We are pleased to receive this award, as the airport will not only make this region much more accessible to the rest of Mongolia,” said Mr.Altansukh.Sh, CEO of Arts Suvarga LLC. The managing consultant was ACH Services under the direction of Mr.Mendbayar who engaged seven prime consultancy groups over three years to enable this construction to be so successful. Mendbayar was pleased to receive the Golden Tower award on behalf of all these Consultants as well.
Oyu Tolgoi has helped to create 53 local businesses in the Umnugobi regional through its small business micro lending programme. This airport will help to expand the reach of the Umnugobi business community, which will create jobs. This airport is a great achievement, and it is a source of pride that we had in all Mongolian workforce and the latest technology to complete it.
The completion of the airport is one many upcoming Oyu Tolgoi milestones. On 27 December, Oyu Tolgoi will celebrate the commissioning of the concentrator, which will bring the project one step closer to commercial production in the first quarter of 2013.
Background on Khanbumbat Airport Development Complex
The project, comprised of 3250 metres long runway, was completed in one construction season. The challenge of paving 85,000 m3 of concrete, in 90 days, to an international standard, in the Gobi desert was extremely daunting. In order to meet this challenge, Oyu Tolgoi LLC elected to bring a new cutting edge piece of technology to Mongolia – a Paving Train. Without this piece of technology, this paving exercise would take years, not months.
The Paving Train, supplied by GOMACO of Ida Grove, Iowa, USA, is the first of its kind in Mongolia. Khanbumbat airport is one of 12 infrastructure projects Oyu Tolgoi has been carrying out in Umnugobi region.
About Oyu Tolgoi LLC (http://ot.mn/en)
Oyu Tolgoi LLC is Mongolia's largest copper and gold mining company and is a strategic partnership between the Government of Mongolia (34 per cent stake), Turquoise Hill Resources (66 per cent) and Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto is the major shareholder in Turquoise Hill Resources and the manager of the Oyu Tolgoi project. In addition to dividends from its 34 per cent stake in Oyu Tolgoi, the Government of Mongolia will receive taxes and royalties.
Oyu Tolgoi, located in the Gobi desert in southern Mongolia, will be one of the largest and highest-grade copper and gold mines in the world. It is the largest project ever developed in Mongolia, requiring a capital investment for phase 1 of more than US$6 billion.
Oyu Tolgoi is committed to contributing to a sustainable future for Mongolia. At least 9 out of 10 employees will be Mongolian once the mine is in production and Oyu Tolgoi is investing US$58 million dollars (78 billion MNT) in training and education and an additional US$27 million dollars (36 billion MNT) in the Workforce Employment Project designed to help address the general skills shortage in Mongolia
Oyu Tolgoi's key priorities are the health and safety of employees, best-practice environmental management, contributing to sustainable communities and always doing business with integrity, for the benefit of all the project's shareholders and the people of Mongolia.
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