Kazakhstan plans to expand its search for lithium resources by launching new geological studies across several regions of the country, the Ministry of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan told LS Media.
According to the ministry, state-funded exploration works are scheduled for 2027–2029 and will focus on mineralized brines, saline lake waters and salt flats in the Caspian and Aral Sea regions, as well as hard-rock formations in the Bayankol ore district. The objective is to determine whether these areas are suitable for commercial lithium extraction. The studies will be carried out as part of the national geological exploration program, with funding of 600 million tenge allocated from the state budget.
In parallel, authorities expect to complete an assessment of Central Kalba in 2026. The work there is aimed at identifying areas prospective for lithium-bearing mineralization, as well as complex rare-metal and rare-earth mineralization within the Kalba–Narym zone.
The ministry also highlighted significant potential for discovering new rare-earth deposits hosted in rare-metal granites and pegmatites. Promising targets include northern Kazakhstan near the Kokshetau rare-metal province, western Kazakhstan within the Mugodzhar rare-metal province, and eastern Kazakhstan at the southeastern end of the Chingiz–Tarbagatai rare-earth metallogenic zone.
In addition, lithium occurrences have already been identified in salt flats across the Aral Sea region, Betpak-Dala and other parts of southern Kazakhstan, reinforcing expectations that the country could expand its role in the supply of critical battery minerals.
