In the first quarter, the volume of chrysotile shipments increased by a third and amounted to 67.4 thousand tons.
According to the only producer in Kazakhstan, JSC “Kostanay Minerals”, the popularity of the products is growing. In the first quarter of this year, the production of chrysotile group 3-6 amounted to 60.4 thousand tons against 50.5 thousand tons a year earlier. 67.4 thousand tons of chrysotile were shipped against 50.1 thousand tons.
The volume of exports also increased by 38.6% compared to the same period last year. In fact, they sold 65.3 thousand tons more products abroad. The main foreign buyers are China, India and Sri Lanka. In the CIS countries, these are Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, and Turkmenistan. Chrysotile-asbestos products are also sold in the domestic market of Kazakhstan.
In 2021, the Zhitikarinsky enterprise plans to produce and sell 230 thousand tons of chrysotile to consumers, including exporting 223.0 thousand tons or 97% of the total sales volume.
“Changes in the consumption market demonstrate positive dynamics in a number of countries that are consumers of chrysotile,” the company said.
Kostanay Minerals JSC is one of the largest chrysotile mining companies in the world and is the only company in Kazakhstan for the extraction and processing of chrysotile asbestos. It is also the city-forming enterprise of Zhitikara, which provides jobs for a significant part of the population, investing in infrastructure and social projects. In addition to mining and processing ore, the company invests in the diversification of production in order to create a multifunctional industrial center.
