The Mining Journal Awards, a selection of the best in the mining industry each year, has been organized for its fifth year. The selected winners are based on an independent evaluation of professional judges and the best of the mining sector are announced according to the sum of scores for nominated mining companies.

Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi JSC has carried out a number of activities during a period of 3 years and 4 months of operation. The company has faced and settled quite a few disputes as well. However, by the end of 2014, the company had exported 4.3 million tons of coal and reduced its expenses by 20 percent.

The company got the highest score for the category of “Sustainable Mining”, thanks to saving on transportation expenses and trans-shipping products for direct export from inland customs. Moreover, the company met the main criteria of the Mining Journal Awards, such as maintaining stable employment, moving towards a savings mode of operations, the utilization of Tsankhi Town, and an agreement on the reduction of expenses with the contractual mining company of Western Tsankhi.

Although the stable activity of Erdenes Tavan Togloi has been interrupted by state policy, the MJA's judges characterized the performance of the company as outstanding, since the company has met several criteria and maximized exports despite market prices having fallen by 40 percent and implementing savings procedures. 

The “Sustainable Mining” category was newly added to the Mining Journal Awards in 2013, in the same year the economic crisis began. In addition to Erdenes Tavan Togloi JSC, another company with similar scores was awarded in this category.

Although SouthGobi Sands LLC has been involved in controversy and  the market price for coal has dramatically decreased, the company has kept its workplace stable, and taken several measures to shift to savings procedure. The company was awarded for  “Sustainable Mining” as a result of its successes in 2014, bringing into exploitation a 43 kilometer road to Nariinsukhait-Shiveekhuren, raising financing, and the 98.4 percent implementation of its Nature and Environment Management Plan.

The category with most nominees was “Eco Mine”. In previous years, more than 30 companies have competed for this award. This year, Monpolymet Company got the highest scores and was awarded the best in the “Eco Mine” category.

Beren Metal LLC, working in the deep processing of ferrous ores and production of final products, and  Focus Metal Mining company competed in the “Best Mining Technology” category. Focus Metal Mining received the award from the judges.

Oyu Tolgoi LLC was awarded for “Most Accountable Mining Activity”, as the company has launched its concentrator plant in 2014, processed 27.5 million tons of ore, and introduced global standards for workplace safety in Mongolia.

The most famous and prestigious award “Best Mine of the Year” was awarded to Altan Dornod LLC. The company performed 100 percent of its action plan for 2014, increased sales by 60 percent in comparison to 2013, and added 3.7 billion MNT to the state budget.

Activities of large and small mining companies show that in spite of the economic crisis, mining sector companies moved forward in operations and continued to pay taxes to the state budget. 

Honored guest of the Mining Journal Awards 2014, academic P.Ochirbat stated, “Miners performance was very good, but incorrect state policy has caused confusion in this sector.”