GAF to establish a computerized mining title cadastre and registry for Mongolia

GAF has been awarded a contract to design and establish the new automated and countrywide Mining Registry and Cadastre System for Mongolia.

After the successful completion of contract negotiations GAF will start work on-site in November 2008. The project under the Governance Assistance Program (GAP) aims to improve governance in the mining sector, through the establishment of a transparent system to grant, manage and cancel permits. The efficient and reliable management of mining titles is considered as a backbone to increase investment and growth in the mining sector of Mongolia.
The Project’s objective is to strengthen the property rights and security of tenure within the mining sector; enhance the transparency of the mineral licensing process and government’s regulatory capacity through improved efficiency, information availability and management.

A core element of the Project is the supervision, development, equipping and implementation of a fully computerized mining registry and cadastre system. Existing analogue and digital data will be inventoried and re-organised. Institutional strengthening including focussed training activities and legal advice shall enhance the overall framework created by the new Mineral Law for the benefit of the administration, miners, investors as well as the public.

Works will be performed for the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia, MRPAM. The project duration is 24 months, including a maintenance and support phase of 12 months. Activities are funded by the World Bank, International Development Association. The contract value amounts to 0.5 million EUR. The activities in Mongolia follow countries like Nigeria, DRC, Madagascar and Namibia, where GAF has set-up nation-wide computerised mining titling systems, some successful in operation for more than 10 years.

About GAF: (www.gaf.de)

GAF, a Telespazio company, is globally active and has an international reputation as a competent provider of project design, management and implementation services in the fields of geo-information and spatial IT consultancy to private and public clients. The company has set new standards in quality, competence and reliability, while simultaneously developing a high-performance and multi-disciplinary range of products and services.
GAF offers fully integrated technical and institutional assistance and management consultancy underpinned by geo-spatial services and products.

GAF AG has a proven track-record in performing technical assistance projects in the natural resources sector and is delivering customized cadastral and registry as well as geological and land information systems.

First Coal-to-NG Project to Break Ground in Inner Mongolia

China's first coal-to-natural gas project will break earth in Hexigten Banner in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Datang International Power Generation Co., Ltd. (SEHK: 0991), a listed arm of China Datang Corporation, is the main investor of this project. Taking lignite as raw material, the project is designed to be able to produce 12 million cubic meters of natural gas per day, or 4 billion cubic meters annually. Notably, the project adopts several homemade patents or advanced technologies like pressurized gasification of crushed coal and low-temperature methanol scrubbing, which are the most matured, safe and economical ways to transform coal into gas in China. Shengli Coalfield in Xilinhot City in Inner Mongolia will be the main coal supplier to this project. The coalfield reserves 22.4 billion tons of lignite that is met the requirements for raw materials for coal gasification. The natural gas made by Hexigten project will be transported to Beijing.

Mongolia imports 2.7 million tons of coal to China in September

As China set records for the amount of imported coking coal purchased during September, the majority of this coal came from Mongolia.

Reports for September indicate Mongolia exported 2.69 million tons of coking coal to China, which was a 40.4 percent increase over September 2007.

Also during this past September, Mongolia was the largest importer of coking coal to China.