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FILE PHOTO: Refined gold is poured into moulds to be made into gold bars at South Africa's Gold Fields South Deep mine in Westonaria, 45 kilometres south-west of Johannesburg, South Africa, March 9, 2017. Picture taken March 9, 2017. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo.
Jordan is close to signing a final agreement with Turkey’s Solvest Company for the exploration of gold nearly three years after the two sides inked a memorandum of understanding, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has said.
Amman and Solvest signed the MoU in June 2022 to explore for gold in an area of around 155 square km in the Southern Abu Khashiba Valley.
It was the second mining deal with the Turkish firm in 3 months after it was awarded a license in April 2022 to explore for copper in the same area.
“The negotiations with Solvest have reached their final stage…once the agreement is signed, it will be sent to Parliament and the cabinet for endorsement,” the Ministry said in a statement published by Alghad newspaper on Tuesday.
A survey carried out by the Turkish firm in that area showed it contains at least 60,000 ounces of pure gold, according to the Ministry.
(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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