G.Iderkhangai visits the Museum of Geology and Mineral Resources and marvels at the variety of Mongolia’s subterranean wealth.Seeing is believing, they say, and it is certainly better than listening a thousand times. The truth of this was very forcefully brought to me on a recent visit to the Museum of Geology and Mineral Resources at the Library of the Mongolian University of Science and Technology. We were fortunate to have Professor J. Lhamsuren as our guide. He heads the museum, the only one of its kind in the country, and has spent half a lifetime making it into the wonder that it is, earning in the process the reputation of being an encyclopedia of minerals and precious rocks.
Beautiful rocks in attractive and often unique shapes are in glass cases in the museum hall, showing the provinces they come from, and divided into geological types. On the wall is a mineral deposit map of Mongolia, with yellow and red circles indicating almost 300 deposits. There are pictures of how Belgian, French, American and Chinese people mined for gold in the early 20th century in the Eroo region.
Mongolia has the fourth gest fluorspar reserves in the world and that is why the museum gives this mineral a special position, even though it is not a household word. Widely used in the chemical industry, fluorspar acid is dangerous, and is used to melt glass. Russian geologists found rich fluorspar deposits in the Berkh region of Mongolia in the 1950s, but the deposit is exhausted. Only about 50 of the 600 fluorspar deposits in Mongolia are now used, mostly by hand miners and middle sized mining companies. Naturally, they are close to the railway or roads. The so-called ninjas are active in widely distributed pockets in Dornogobi, Dornod and Khentii.
There is no way to avoid the model of the Tavan Tolgoi coking coal deposit. Next to it is a oval lump of coal. The museum explains the differences between coking, thermal and rock coals. Mongolia has 12 coal basins, all formed 300 million years ago, when fossilised forests turned to coal. There are pictures and graphics to illustrate how coal deposits exist and how the layers are situated.
The museum director told us that Mongolians do not like to use burn shale rock quite abundant in the Gobi. One can easily tear off thin layers from the rock and they burn at the touch of a lit matchstick. The rock also includes resinous substances.
A special exhibit is the first crude petroleum found in Mongolia in the 1950s, at a depth of 2,000 metres at a site in Zuunbayan soum in Dornogobi province. A refinery was built and I was surprised to learn that the petrol produced there used to supply 20 per cent of domestic demand. Zuunbayan crude was very thick and had a high concentration of paraffin. The refinery was closed when the oil reserve was exhausted. The museum also has samples of crude from the Tamsag region, where Petro China Dachin Tamsag Company now operates.
The extraordinary corner devoted to the Oyu Tolgoi deposits has the first samples found 30 years ago by Mongolian geologists as well as current samples from depths of between 800 metres and 2,000 metres. A spotty piece of ore, which contains gold and was found 1,186 metres below the ground, looks very beautiful, almost like a crown with diamonds in it.
The museum exhibits a variety of mineral rocks from every corner of Mongolia containing chalcedony, sardonyx, jasper, topaz, crystal, sapphire, garnet, green jade etc. These were traditionally used in jewellery and accessories. There are examples of stones crafted in the shape of animals. But human intervention apart, a piece of pure crystal makes one wonder how nature can be such a great artist.
There was a a crystal mine near Terelj, known to the Chinese in the 19th century. Then in 1961, Prof. Lhamsuren discovered a 7,500-kg block of crystal, one of the largest in the world then. Unfortunately, now he has just pictures. Some 30 years ago, it was brought to the central stadium to be shown to the public during Naadam, and was broken as it was being loaded to be transferred to the Children’s Park. The pieces have disappeared over time. Since then a 10-ton crystal has been found in Kazakhstan, and a 40-ton one in Brazil. Crystal is an essential component of electronic technology.
Study of fossils found in Mongolia gives invaluable clues to flora and fauna in ancient times and the museum shows how. Mandakh soum of Dornogobi province is particularly rich in fossils of trees, often found just under the sand. They have become flint and chalcedony.
The section on Tsenhkhermandal tin mine tells its history, from the time during World War II when its output was a great help to Russia. During the 1950s, 1,100 trucks would daily load tin from the mine and there were 5 plants to produce pure white tin. There are similar sections on the deposits and mines of Asgat, Luugiin Gol, Bayan Modot and Tsav.
Various types of garnet are extracted from the slate found in abundance in the Altai mountains where they are breaking into hundreds of parts because of age. Chalcedony and garnets are plentiful in the area starting from Khentii all the way to Omnogovi. Dalanturuu in Dornogovi is, however, the only place where one finds what is known locally as gartaam, stone showing exotic lines when they are cut.
The museum is not all abut the past. There is a corner devoted to minerals such as Armstrongite, Mongolite, and Ongonite, that have been found recently and that exist only in Mongolia. Ongonite gets its name from where it was discovered in 1970 -- Ongon Khairkhan. Armstrongite and Mongolite are both found in Khanbogd of South Gobi. The latter was discovered in 1978, and was accepted as a new find only quite recently. It is mauve in colour.
“A visit here renews people’s’ love for their country”
Prof. J.Lhamsuren answers some questions.
When was the museum established?This was in 1967, when the geological school was set up at the Mongolian National University. Mongolian geologists doing exploration work gave us samples of what they found and this was the nucleus of the museum. Until now, more than 7.000 mineral deposits and occurrences of over 400 different minerals have been discovered all over the country.
How do you choose your exhibits? We choose them mainly on the basis of how they will appeal to the visitor, but importance is given also to how a particular sample was found.
What security measures do you follow?
We moved to the present location just a year ago. The place is now smaller than what we had, so we had to rearrange a lot. Honestly, we do not have the resources to control the temperature and the humidity or to install security cameras. We also do not have a back-up storage.
Are the exhibits insured? Have they been valued?
Yes, some are so covered.
How many visitors do you have and what kind of people come here?
Teachers and students of geology and mining are always here. Between 10,000 and 15,000 people come every year. Interestingly, the number has been increasing with mining being so much in the news. All Mongolians should come here to see what their country has, to renew their love for Mongolia.
Do you exchange exhibits with foreign museums?
Sometimes we do sell a sample if we have more, but we do not do any retail selling . We also lend samples as this promotes Mongolia abroad. For example, we are going to participate in an international expo in Nagayo, Japan, but you must remember all our stones are 100-150 kilos, and it is not easy to move them around.
What is your staff strength?
Just two, a director and a curator.