Kumtor Gold Mine is an open-pit gold mining site in Issyk Kul Province of Kyrgyzstan located about 350 km (220 mi) southeast of the capital Bishkek and 80 km (50 mi) south of Lake Issyk-Kul near the border with China.
Kumtor is 100% owned by the Canadian mining company, Centerra Gold, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Kumtor Gold Company. The mine started operation in Q2 1997 and produced more than 5.8 million ounces (180,000 kg) of gold through the end of 2006.
Located in Tian Shan mountains at more than 4,000 m (14,000 ft) above sea level, Kumtor is the second-highest gold mining operation in the world after Yanacocha gold mine in Peru.
The mine was linked to a major environmental incident in 1998 when a truck carrying 1,762 kg of sodium cyanide (a chemical used to dissolve gold from granulated ore, the use of which is highly controversial) fell into the Barskaun River on the way to Kumtor.
There are also 2 underground portals, and plans for further development. The minesite employs a limited number of technical experts from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and all of the surrounding areas from Bishkek to Karakol. Two major glaciers affect the mining process.