ASTANA – Geological studies in 2024 identified 60 promising areas with inferred resources of noble, non-ferrous and ferrous metals, said Chairman of the Committee of Geology of Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Construction Erlan Akbarov during the press conference at Central Communications Service on Dec. 12.
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As a result of geological exploration, 27 solid mineral deposits, 10 hydrocarbon deposits, and 23 groundwater deposits have been added to the state register. These areas are to be transferred to subsoil use for further exploration under an exploration license.
“Each year, regional geological subsoil studies are conducted at the state budget’s expense, including a 1:200,000-scale geological survey, geological-mineralogical mapping, deep geological mapping, and hydrogeological survey of the area. These efforts aim to cover 2.2 million square kilometers of Kazakhstan’s territory with geological and geophysical studies by the end of 2026, in line with the directive from the head of state in his 2023 address to the nation. By the end of this year, the coverage of geological and geophysical studies is expected to reach 2,014,000 square kilometers,” said Akbarov.
The total amount of funding for three years is more than 20 billion tenge (US$38 million). These sites, as a result of subsoil use, will ensure the development of the country’s economy, said Akbarov.
Kazakhstan’s mineral resource base consists of deposits of solid and common minerals, hydrocarbons, and groundwater. The state balance sheet lists a total of 9,548 deposits, including 987 solid mineral deposits, 355 hydrocarbon deposits, 3,666 common mineral deposits, and 4,540 groundwater deposits.
