Oyu Tolgoi brings Mongolia’s most modern airstrip

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - Oyu Tolgoi is building an international standard airport complex in Umnugobi and the construction of its airstrip has been completed. The airport is part of Oyu Tolgoi’s infrastructure investment and regional development in Umnugobi, which also includes a modern paved road from the mine to the border, mining school of excellence and technical vocational education centres, high-power transmission lines, an 80 kilometres long water pipe, ore concentrator plant.

The construction of the 3.2 kilometres long airstrip, unique in Mongolian aviation history in terms of quality and engineering design, was completed today by a team of Mongolian engineers and contractors well on schedule and on budget. The landing strip only the second in Mongolia able to handle Boeing 737 and C130 size aircrafts.

Oyu Tolgoi President and CEO Cameron McRae commented “I’m thrilled to see that our plan to develop major infrastructure in Umnugobi is starting to become reality. We have completed this project with our Mongolian construction contractors safely, in shortest period, at international standard. This is a proof of how Oyu Tolgoi is successfully partnering with its stakeholders from the government and private sector”.

The airstrip was finished in a record time. This is the first time in Mongolian aviation history to use a paving equipment from the US company Gomaco which has helped complete the airstrip project within a record 90 days, which normally would have taken three years. It works as a railway locomotive and lays 7.5 metres wide, 1 metres long and 44 centimetres deep road in just one minute.

More than 500 workers from Mongolian companies 'Arts suvarga' and 'ACH Service' under the management of Fluor Corporation with Oyu Tolgoi financing are working on the construction of the Khanbumbat airport complex. It will comprise of a passenger terminal, flight control tower with the latest in aviation navigation system and a fire unit.

About Oyu Tolgoi LLC

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.

SOURCE OF THIS ARTICLE : Oyu Tolgoi