The two-day “Coal Mongolia 2012” investment forum ended on Friday. Attendees discussed coking coal projects, investment opportunities, and technological and environmental issues.

A hot topic of conversation was the Tavantolgoi mining project. Erdenes Tavantolgoi LLC Executive Director B.Enebish announced the company’s IPO will occur in May, before the 2012 parliamentary election.

The IPO has been delayed because a working group for determining the rules was forced to disband after a shakeup in the Mongolian government. The head of the working group was former First Deputy Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag, and its members were former Road, Transportation and Urban Development Minister Kh.Battulga, Chief of Cabinet Secretariat Ch.Khurelbaatar, former Chief of the State Property Committee D.Sugar, and Erdenes MGL Executive Director B.Enebish. Only Ch.Khurelbaatar will remain on the reformed working group.

Plans to resume mining in Nalaikh were also discussed. Officials with the mine signed a memorandum of cooperation with South Korean officials.

Energy Resource LLC officials announced the company has built two coal-processing factories. The company can sell processed coal at a higher price than raw coal.

A ceremony to select the “best of” the mining sector was held at Bayangol Restaurant on Friday night. Energy Resource LLC won named best exploiter and Monnis LLC was named best exhibit displayer. The award for best mining journalist went to a reporter for the website mining.mn.