In 1978 Erdenet Mining Corporation (EMC or Erdenet) was established in accordance with a joint venture agreement between the governments of Mongolia and the former Soviet Union (51% and 49% respectively). As one of the largest ore mining and processing operations in the world, the company produces approximately 530,000 tons of copper concentrate and 4,500 tons of molybdenum concentrates annually. Erdenet town was established in 1974 specifically for the mine and now has a population of around 110,000. This paper discusses the challenges of integrating best practice mine closure into an established mining operation and its subsequent liabilities, considering the advancements in technical knowledge and mining practices since the mine's inception, and the potential influences of changes in mine management, political parties and policies. This paper will also briefly address the potential obstacles of securing closure financial provisions for an established mining operation given the above mentioned challenges.
Dagva, M. B., Ainsworth, G. L., Davaatseren, Ts., Vladimir, Kh., & Erdenetuya, O. (2015). Challenges of integrating mine closure plans mid-way through the life of mine in Mongolia. In A. B. Fourie, M. Tibbett, L. Sawatsky, & D. van Zyl (Eds.), Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Mine Closure. InfoMine/Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Vancouver (pp. 805-816).