JOGMEC to Explore Rare Metals in Uzbekistan

Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) announced on Friday the firm signed memorandum of understanding on joint rare metal exploration and natural gas marketing research in Uzbekistan. JOGMEC signed with delegations from Uzbekistan’s State Committee on Geology and Mineral Resources and state owned natural gas company, Uzbekneftegaz, who came to Japan with the deputy prime minister of Uzbekistan and minister of foreign economic relations, investments and trade Ganiev Elyor Majidovich.

Uzbekistan has rich resources including gold, tungsten, copper, zinc and uranium. The resource sign was confirmed in several areas for tantalum, which is used for electrolytic capacitor of cell phone, and niobium, which is used as additive for special steel and superconducting material. JOGMEC signed MOU on joint research in Qashqadaryo area. Depending on the research, JOGMEC would get interest in such resources and Japanese companies could succeed the interest to develop.