Aspire raises Mongolian coal output target

Aspire Mining raised the production target for its wholly-owned Ovoot coking coal project in Mongolia to 12 million mt/year.

Its previous target for the project was 10.5 million mt/year.

The results confirmed a high theoretical yield of 80% with 8% ash content, giving Ovoot the potential to be the lowest-ash coking coal producer in Mongolia, Aspire said.

Aspire managing director David Paull said that this would result in lower operating costs and less coal washing capacity.

Accordingly, the company has raised its output projection for a second-stage development of Ovoot to 12 million mt/year, assuming run-of-mine coal of 15 million mt/year, which would place Ovoot among the world’s largest coking coal mines.