Kazakhstan has recorded a substantial increase in mineral reserves following recent geological exploration, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Iran Sharkhan said at a government press conference on December 18. According to him, newly identified reserves include about 98 tons of gold, 36000 tons of copper, and more than 1.3 million tons of phosphorites.
As a result of the exploration campaign, five new deposits have been placed on the state register for the first time. These include Kok-Zhon, Altyn-Shoko, Samombet, Studenchesky, and Takyr-Kaldzhir.
Sharkhan said Kazakhstan continues to expand the scope of its geological and geophysical surveys. More than 2 million square kilometers of territory have already been studied, with this figure expected to rise to 2.2 million square kilometers by 2026. He also noted that a promising area containing rare earth metals has been identified in the Karaganda region.
To support further exploration, the government has allocated 240 million tenge from its reserve to develop project documentation for a transition to detailed geological studies at a scale of 1:50 000. According to the Ministry of Industry, this new approach will make it possible to identify prospective areas at earlier stages of exploration.
Between 2026 and 2028, detailed geological studies are planned across 100000 square kilometers. The work will be carried out by a consortium involving the National Geological Service and leading research institutes, using aerogeophysical technologies. The vice minister said these methods are expected to significantly improve the efficiency of geological exploration.
