Pakistan enters metal export market for first time in history

KUN0020 4 GEN 0217 KUWAIT /KUNA-MVO0 ECO-PAKISTAN-METAL-EXPORT Pakistan enters metal export market for first time in history ISLAMABAD, Nov 5 (KUNA)--Pakistan has entered the metal market for the first time in its history with the export of 1,000 tons of blister copper, produced from the Saindak Copper-Gold Project in the southern Baluchistan province. The Saindak project started commercial production on Aug 6 this year and in the first two months produced 1000 tons of blister copper, which had now been exported, a press report said Wednesday. This is the first time that Pakistan has exported any metallic product on a commercial basis and the first shipment of blister copper also contained silver and gold, the report underlined. The report stated that the Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Pakistan during President Gen Musharrafs current visit to China to invest another USD 30 million to expand the Saindak project by 30 per cent. With this, Saindaks annual production will exceed 20,000 tons. The Saindak Copper-Gold Project was launched in the early 70s and reached trial production in 1996. The project was handed over to the MCC on a long-term contract basis and the project reached the commercial production stage in August this year.(end) amn.kf KUNA 051131 Nov 03NNNN