Construction of Central Asia Metals’ Kounrad copper project plant near Balkhash in south-central Kazakhstan is complete and under budget. The company will commission the solvent extraction-electro winning (SX-EW) plant at the end of the month, with first copper production expected in April. 
Alhambra Resources has announced a maiden NI 43-101 resource estimate at its Dombraly gold deposit within the massive Uzboy project in north central Kazakhstan.
Perth-based gold exploration company Manas Resources has hired a Chinese consultant to design its Shambesai gold project in the Kyrgyz Republic. The Yantai Design Institute will complete the detailed process plant design and equipment selection for the 180,000 ounce project, with the basic engineering design undertaken in Australia.
White Cliff Minerals and its joint venture partner T2Gold say final drill results from the 2011 program at the Chanach gold-copper project in the Kyrgyz Republic confirm significant gold mineralization associated with porphyry copper mineralization.