Kazakhstan Discovers 60 New Metal Resource Areas in 2024
In 2024, geological studies in Kazakhstan identified 60 new areas with inferred resources of noble, non-ferrous, and ferrous metals, according to Erlan Akbarov, Chairman of the Committee of Geology of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction.
The exploration led to the addition of 27 solid mineral deposits, 10 hydrocarbon deposits, and 23 groundwater deposits to the state register. These areas will be transferred 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 funding for these efforts over the next three years amounts to more than 20 billion tenge (US$38 million). These new resources are expected to significantly contribute to the development of Kazakhstan's economy.
Kazakhstan’s state balance sheet currently lists 9,548 deposits across various sectors, including solid minerals, hydrocarbons, and groundwater.
