RE: Email from DH This is news which has been played out in the country for the last several months. With the election in May both parties are pandering to their voters who want the country to control their resources. They have no money or skill to develop these resources on their own. Less than 60 days ago the Mongolian Mining Minister D. Gankhuyag pushed the button to start the concentrator for the first time. Congratulating all who participated in the project, being constructed on schedule. Rio Tinto's effective project management and financial capabilities.
It was not the first time Mongolian politicians had tried to rework the 2009 deal that only allows a bigger stake for the state 30 years after the project goes into operation (Oyu Tolgoi – turquoise hill in the local language – has an estimated life of mine of twice that).
In 2011 shares in Turquoise Hill, then Ivanhoe Mines, plunged on news that the Mongolian government wanted to rework the deal to gain a 51% stake.
At the time Rio and Ivanhoe took a tough stance however and after some desperate negotiations Mongolia backed off.
Bottom line is that I would be very surprised if any of this is a surprise to the Sandstorm Team.