Kuu-Check Coal Mine

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Kuu-Check Coal Mine (Куу-чек, Куу-чекское месторождение) is a mothballed coal mine in Kushoky, Karaganda, Kazakhstan.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Mine Name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Kuu-Check Coal Mine	Kushoky, Karaganda, Kazakhstan	50.26824165, 73.39093538 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:

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Project Details

Table 2: Project status

Status	Status Detail	Opening Year	Closing Year
Mothballed	–	1957	–

Table 3: Operation details

Note: The asterisk (*) signifies that the value is a GEM estimated figure.

Capacity (Mtpa)	Production (Mtpa)	Year of Production	Mine Type	Mining Method	Mine Size (km2)	Mine Depth (m)	Workforce Size
–	1	2020	Surface	Open Pit	–	60.0*	160

Table 4: Coal resources and destination

Total Reserves (Mt)	Year of Total Reserves Recorded	Total Resources (Mt)	Coalfield	Coal Type	Coal Grade	Primary Consumer/ Destination
13.0	2020	–	Karaganda	Bituminous	Thermal	Karaganda State Regional power station-2, Kazakhmys Balkhash power station, Zhezkazgan power station

Table 5: Ownership and parent company

Note: To access more comprehensive data on energy ownership, please visit the Global Energy Ownership Tracker.

Owner	Parent Company	Headquarters
Kazakhmys Coal LLC [100%]	Kazakhmys Holding LLP [100.0%]	Kazakhstan

Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker May 2025 release.

Background

The Kuu-Check Coal Mine (Куу-Чекинское месторождение) is a surface mine in Karaganda region, Kazakhstan. Kuu-Check mine is owned and operated by Kazakhmys Coal LLC, which is part of Kazakhmys Corporation. Molodezhny coal mine is also owned and operated by Kazakhmys Coal.

It appears that Kazakhmys Coal may have sold the asset to MCI Group in 2022, although another source suggests that the mine assets are rented out. In an video interview from May 2023 the general director of MCI Group stated that the company does not have the mining license.

Its peak production was in 1987 at 3 million tonnes.

Operations at the mine commenced in 1957. In July 1997, the open-pit mine joined 'Borly' State Open Joint Stock Company under the management of Kazakhmys Corporation JSC. In October 2006, the Borly Coal Department- branch of Kazakhmys Corporation LLC was formed, and Kuu-Chekinsky open-pit mine entered the Department as a structural unit. In 2018, Borly Coal Department was restructured into Kazakhmys Coal LLC.

The mine's capacity was about 1 million tonnes per annum.

Mothballing

In February 2022, a media article referred to the planned mothballing of the mine due to unfavourable economics and dwindling reserves. However as there was no announcement of the mine's closure and with coal prices having risen since then, it was assumed that the mine was still operating (as of January 2023).

Further reports from May 2023 confirmed that the mine has been mothballed by Kazakhmys Coal. The source further stated that the mine's assets were rented out to MCI Group, which planned to bring coal from other mines, enrich it and then sell. Another source suggested that MCI Group has become a new owner. MCI Group may also continue producing from the existing mine, but in a video interview from May 2023 the general director of MCI Group stated that the company does not have the mining license. 160 workers employed by the new management of MCI Group were left without being paid for 5 months.

A media report from February 2025 stated that the mine is not operating, there was no demand for their coal and they keep losing in coal supply tenders, although coal stock was available and the company made the the first shipment of coal to the local boiler house. Out 160 employees last year only 46 were left.

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Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.