On October 12, 2025, leading global metals miner Zijin Mining announced that its majority-owned subsidiary, Zijin Gold International, closed the acquisition of a 100% interest in the Raygorodok (“RG”) Gold Mine in Kazakhstan on October 10, 2025. The deal has added a 9th gold mine to Zijin Gold International’s portfolio and boosted its total gold reserves to 932 tonnes, placing the company 9th globally among gold producers.
The transaction was closed only ten days after Zijin Gold International’s listing in Hong Kong, underscoring its ability to closely align moves in the capital market with business expansion and demonstrating its long-term vision and efficient execution of its global strategy.
This strategic deal significantly increases Zijin Gold International’s resource base and capacity to generate profits, elevates its industry standing and competitiveness, and provides robust support for Zijin Mining’s goal of producing 100 to 110 tonnes of mined gold by 2028.
Large Operation with Strong Profitability
Located in the Akmola Region, northern Kazakhstan, RG Gold comprises two open pits—the North and South pits—situated roughly 2 kilometers apart. The mine is equipped with modern infrastructure, including:
l A heap leach facility commissioned in 2016, primarily treating oxide ore; and
l A carbon-in-pulp plant commissioned in 2022.
Resource base as of June 30, 2025:
l Mineral resources (indicated and inferred): 208 million tonnes at 1.0 gram per tonne, containing 197.4 tonnes of gold metal; and
l Ore reserves: 97 million tonnes at 0.9 grams per tonne, containing 87 tonnes of gold metal.
Recent performance:
l Average annual gold output (2023–2024): approximately 6 tonnes.
l 2024 revenue: US$473 million; net profit: US$202 million.
l The asset is strongly profitable and is expected to contribute to Zijin’s output and earnings in the year of acquisition.
Following the takeover, Zijin Mining will accelerate feasibility studies and pit optimization efforts. Against a backdrop of strong gold prices, these initiatives are expected to increase the utilization of resources within the operation’s open pits and help expand production capacity.
Three Gold Operations in Central Asia
Central Asia—home to the Central Asian Orogenic Belt—is among the world’s most prospective gold provinces. Zijin Gold International already operates the Taldybulak Levoberezhny gold mine in Kyrgyzstan and Jilau and Taror gold mines in Tajikistan. Following the acquisition of RG Gold, the company has established a three-mine cluster in Central Asia, creating synergies in logistics corridors, technical management, and talent deployment.
This strong presence is also expected to enhance the company’s risk resilience in the region and overall competitiveness, injecting new momentum into its growth.
The global gold market remains supported by ongoing geopolitical tensions and worldwide inflationary pressures, and continued central-bank gold buying—factors that have kept gold prices high. Recent outlooks from leading investment banks—including Goldman Sachs, UBS, and Morgan Stanley—are broadly bullish on gold. Such a macro environment provides a favorable backdrop for highly specialized gold mining companies like Zijin Gold International.