- Business
- SouthGobi Resources Ltd. operates as an integrated coal mining, development, and exploration company primarily in Mongolia and China. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, the company focuses on the extraction and sale of coking coal and thermal coal, with its flagship asset being the Ovoot Tolgoi open pit coal mine located in the Umnugobi Aimag region of Mongolia. SouthGobi's product portfolio includes premium semi-soft coking coal, standard semi-soft coking coal, thermal coal, mixed coal, wet washed coal, and dry processed coal. The company supplies coal mainly to consumers in China, including steel mills and power plants.
Recent major developments include a Build-Operate-Transfer agreement signed in July 2024 between SouthGobi's Mongolian subsidiary, Southgobi Sands LLC, and Tangshan Shenzhou Manufacturing Group Co., Ltd., to construct and operate a new dry coal separation system at the Ovoot Tolgoi Mine, enhancing coal processing capabilities and quality management. This initiative supports expansion of SouthGobi’s coal product offerings, including successfully processing F-grade coal to meet Chinese import quality standards, which has enabled increased coal exports since early 2024. The product mix as of Q3 2024 included approximately 5% premium semi-soft coking coal, 51% standard semi-soft coking coal/premium thermal coal, 12% standard thermal coal, and 32% processed coal. The company has also increased its mining scale and implemented various coal processing methods such as screening, wet washing, and dry processing, improving coal quality and export volume.
SouthGobi is publicly traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (ticker 1878) and the Toronto Stock Exchange Venture (ticker SGQ). Its operations are strategically positioned to serve the significant demand for metallurgical and thermal coal in China, supported by strong shareholders including Chinese state-owned enterprises. SouthGobi continues to focus on operational expansions while managing regulatory and market challenges in Mongolia and China. The company had approximately 360 employees as of 2022 and pursues ongoing development projects including deposits at Soumber and Zag Suuj.