Main raw material base of the Combinat is Muruntau deposit which is unique in gold reserves on the Eurasian continent. The deposit belongs to gold quartz geological and commercial type. It was discovered in 1958 and surface mining works were launched in 1967.
Today the depth of Muruntau open pit has surpassed 600m level. The distinguished feature of the deposit is consecutive innovative development of open pit method with stepwise upgrading and modernization of the equipment and mining technologies.
Nowadays principal stages of development and modernization of mining operations, innovative projects of reconstruction, technical expansion and re-equipment, which ensure effective and long-term deposit development, have been defined.
Availability of the explored gold reserves and resources outside of the Muruntau Phase IV, evaluation requirement reduction, in consideration of the higher gold price, application of advanced ore mining and processing technologies show the possibility for additional extraction of ore reserves owing to deepening of open pit mining operations up to 950-1000 m and also ore extraction in the near edge zone outside of the open pit by combined surface and underground mining method.
Surface mining operations are conducted on the Kyzylkum Phosphorite Complex. Eight areas explored to different extent are located in Jeroy-Sardaryinsky deposit. Detail exploration of the reserves of Tashkura, Southern Jeroy and Kurkkuduk areas have been carried out.
Tashkura is one of the three thoroughly explored zones of Jeroy-Sardaryinsky deposit that was approved as the first priority for commercial operation. In 1997 the Combinat started development of it with open-pit method.