MINEX Forum

Region: Kazakhstan

  • Kazakhstan Junior Miner Aurora Minerals Battles Illegal Prospectors at Gold Project While Targeting Nine-Million-Tonne Copper Basin

    Kazakhstan Junior Miner Aurora Minerals Battles Illegal Prospectors at Gold Project While Targeting Nine-Million-Tonne Copper Basin

    Kazakhstani geological exploration company Aurora Minerals has disclosed that illegal artisanal miners are actively extracting gold from its Altyn project in northern Pribalkhashe — a problem the company’s chief geologist Ulan Nurkhannuly colourfully framed as “pirates” operating within their licence area, in a presentation at the Geoscience and Exploration Central Asia forum in Astana.

    Nurkhannuly told the forum’s session on junior company challenges that the Altyn project sits on the boundary of a gold ore field, making it geologically prospective for new discoveries. The project currently covers 80 square kilometres, though Aurora Minerals has identified scope to expand the licence area to between 355 and 360 square kilometres, with the application process already underway. The company has named its priority exploration targets within the project El Dorado, Captain Morgan and Port Royal — a nod, Nurkhannuly explained, to the pirate theme necessitated by the uninvited activity on site. Illegal miners are reportedly extracting both hard rock and alluvial gold at three separate locations within the licence area, effectively running their own informal junior mining operation. They have even installed a water extraction borehole — infrastructure that may prove useful to Aurora given existing water supply challenges in the region.

    A sample taken by Aurora’s team at one of the illegal mining sites returned an exceptional grade of 500 grams of gold per tonne. Historic data generated in the 1980s suggests the broader project area may contain approximately 360,000 ounces, or over 11 tonnes of gold. Further study has identified additional zones warranting exploration.

    Beyond Altyn, Aurora Minerals is pursuing what could prove to be a significantly larger opportunity at its Teniz project, located on the tripoint border of Akmola, Kostanai and Karaganda regions. The company believes the area represents an extension of the Chu-Sarysu sedimentary basin — a geological setting comparable to the giant Zhezkazgan copper deposit. Surface copper showings are sparse, consistent with that analogy. The United States Geological Survey has forecast that the Teniz basin could host up to nine copper deposits with combined resources of as much as nine million tonnes of copper. On the basis of historical data and the US geological forecast, Aurora has identified priority targets across the region and secured licences covering up to 2,000 square kilometres, with the potential to add three further licences and expand the surveyed area to 4,500 square kilometres. Licensing negotiations with state authorities took considerable time due to the presence of a Russian rocket impact zone within the Teniz depression.

  • Kazakhstan Unveils $500 Million Geology Push and New Rare Earth Discovery at GECA 2026 Forum

    Kazakhstan Unveils $500 Million Geology Push and New Rare Earth Discovery at GECA 2026 Forum

    Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has announced a tenfold increase in state funding for geological exploration, with approximately $500 million to be invested over the next three years, as the country moves to unlock what officials describe as one of the world’s most significant untapped mineral resource bases.

    Speaking at the plenary session of the Geoscience and Exploration of Central Asia forum — GECA 2026 — in Astana, Bektenov framed geological exploration as a strategic foundation for Kazakhstan’s broader economic modernisation, linking the sector’s development to the country’s newly adopted Constitution and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s reform agenda. The forum brought together representatives of international organisations, the diplomatic corps and both domestic and foreign mining companies.

    Kazakhstan currently holds approximately 10,000 registered deposits, with total reserves across key commodities estimated at over 2,300 tonnes of gold, 4.3 billion tonnes of oil, 3.8 trillion cubic metres of gas, 33.5 billion tonnes of coal and 26.7 billion tonnes of iron. A notable recent addition to the country’s resource inventory is the Kuyryktykolskoye rare earth deposit, discovered in 2025, which holds an estimated 800,000 tonnes of cerium, neodymium, yttrium and other rare earth elements.

    Bektenov highlighted a series of structural reforms already underway in the geology and subsoil use sector. A unified subsoil use portal has been launched to provide transparent access to licensing services, with a first-come, first-served allocation model drawn from international best practice that has helped attract approximately 280 billion tenge in private investment into geological exploration over the past three years. International reserves reporting standards have been adopted, and the country is transitioning to geophysical mapping at a scale of 1:50,000 to improve the quality of subsurface data available to investors.

    Among the longer-term infrastructure priorities announced is the creation of a geology cluster in Astana, bringing together an analytical laboratory, core storage facility and a geological information archive — a hub intended to concentrate technical and human resources and accelerate specialised research. Work is also ongoing to extend the country’s geological and geophysical survey coverage to 2.2 million square kilometres, with current coverage having reached approximately 2.04 million square kilometres.

    Discussions at the forum also focused on digital transformation and the integration of artificial intelligence into exploration and subsoil management, with contributions from Kazakhstan’s Minister of Industry and Construction Yersaiyn Nagassayev, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Mining Industry and Geology Rustam Yusupov and senior geological officials from Tajikistan.

  • Zijin Gold Nets $120 Million Profit in First Three Months at Kazakhstan’s Raygorodok Mine and Eyes Tripling Output to 11 Tonnes Annually

    Zijin Gold Nets $120 Million Profit in First Three Months at Kazakhstan’s Raygorodok Mine and Eyes Tripling Output to 11 Tonnes Annually

    Chinese mining giant Zijin Gold International has reported that its newly acquired Raygorodok gold mine in Kazakhstan’s Akmola Region generated approximately $190 million in revenue and $120 million in net profit in the final quarter of 2025 alone — recouping roughly a tenth of the approximately $1 billion acquisition price within just three months of completing the purchase.

    The mine, acquired from Kazakh businessman Bulat Utemuratov and formally transferred in October 2025, produced 1.2 tonnes of gold under Zijin’s ownership last year, though the company reported selling 1.3 tonnes from the Kazakhstani operation during the same period. Total gold output at Raygorodok for the full year 2025 reached 6.5 tonnes in doré form — including 6.1 tonnes from the main processing plant and 349 kilograms from heap leaching operations — meaning approximately 5.3 tonnes were attributable to the previous shareholder before the deal closed.

    Zijin reported all-in sustaining costs of approximately $1,249 per ounce following the acquisition, and said the post-acquisition transition had proceeded smoothly, with improvements in strip ratios, recovery rates and equipment utilisation. The results were aided by the record gold price rally that marked the final months of 2025.

    The company’s most significant disclosure concerns its expansion ambitions. Zijin plans to increase annual ore processing capacity from the current 6 million tonnes to 16 million tonnes, with an intermediate target of adding 10 million tonnes of annual processing capacity in the near term. That expansion is projected to lift annual gold production to approximately 11 tonnes — a level that would place Raygorodok close to the output of Kazakhstan’s leading gold producers, including Kazakhzinc, Altynalmas and Solidcore Resources, each of which produces more than 12 tonnes annually. Production guidance for 2026 is set at 6.4 tonnes. The mine’s remaining life is estimated at 16 years, with probable reserves of 84 tonnes of gold and measured and inferred resources potentially reaching 195 tonnes.

    Beyond expanding existing operations, Zijin plans to invest in exploration across six licences it holds in the surrounding area. The company intends to conduct deep and peripheral drilling within the current mining zone to extend the mine’s operational life, and will carry out exploration at the Novodneprovske and Sharyk deposits within recently acquired licence areas to assess their boundaries and resource potential.

  • Kazakhstan’s Kazchrome Earns International Environmental Declaration for High-Carbon Ferrochrome Production

    Kazakhstan’s Kazchrome Earns International Environmental Declaration for High-Carbon Ferrochrome Production

    Kazchrome, the ferrochrome producer owned by Eurasian Resources Group, has obtained an international Environmental Product Declaration for its high-carbon ferrochrome, following an independent lifecycle assessment conducted by global inspection and certification firm SGS.

    The declaration confirms that Kazchrome’s ferrochrome meets rigorous international environmental standards across every stage of its production cycle, from raw material extraction through to end-of-life disposal. The assessment covered a comprehensive range of factors including mining, transportation and preparation of raw materials, water and energy consumption, and the ratio of primary to secondary inputs used in production.

    SGS’s ecology business manager for Kazakhstan and the Caspian subregion, IlyaKorlyakov, said the declaration goes beyond simply measuring a product’s environmental and carbon footprint — it signals a company’s commitment to continuous improvement in production processes in order to reduce its overall environmental burden. In an era of tightening carbon requirements and growing green economy pressures, he said, holding an EPD has become a meaningful competitive advantage in international markets.

    Kazchrome said its use of modern beneficiation, extraction and recycling technologies enables more efficient use of natural resources, reducing dependence on primary raw materials, cutting its carbon footprint and minimising the volume of waste sent to tailings dumps.

    The EPD positions Kazchrome to better meet the procurement and sustainability requirements of international buyers, particularly in Europe, where regulatory pressure on supply chain emissions is intensifying under frameworks such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

  • Private Firm AGI Ltd Launches Copper Exploration at Shat Site in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda Region

    Private Firm AGI Ltd Launches Copper Exploration at Shat Site in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda Region

    Private company AGI Ltd has announced plans to conduct copper exploration at the Shat licence area in the Karkaralinsky District of Karaganda Region, according to a notice of planned activities published on Kazakhstan’s environmental portal.

    The company received a six-year solid mineral exploration licence on 23 December 2025. The Shat site covers an area of 8.87 square kilometres and is located 260 kilometres east of Karaganda and 26 kilometres west of the settlement of Ainabulak.

    The exploration programme involves drilling trenches and collecting a total of 16,800 core samples weighing more than 67 tonnes, 1,260 channel samples totalling 315 kilograms, and 25 geochemical samples weighing 7.3 kilograms. All samples will be transported to Karaganda for laboratory analysis. Upon completion of fieldwork, AGI Ltd plans to produce a final geological report with a mineral resource and reserve assessment prepared in accordance with the KazRC standard. The primary objective is a geologically substantiated evaluation of the site’s copper prospectivity, with forecast resources to be assessed at P1 category level by comparison with analogous commercial deposits.

    AGI Ltd was registered at the Astana International Financial Centre on 2 July 2025. Its co-owners are listed as Mariyam Ospanova, Abilzhan Khusainov and Ainur Mukhatayeva. Khusainov is an honorary citizen of Kokshetau, a doctor of biological sciences and a professor at Ualikhanov University, while Ospanova is the director and sole owner of a food retail business in Atyrau.

    The third co-owner, Ainur Mukhatayeva, also holds a stake alongside China Nonferrous Mining Corporation and Saltanat Sabdykeyeva in SM Minerals Ltd, a separate AIFC-registered company focused on copper ore mining and processing. That connection is notable given recent developments involving China Nonferrous Mining’s Kazakhstani footprint: in December, the Chinese state-backed group paid $89 million to raise its stake in SM Minerals to 70%, which holds subsoil rights at the North and South Benkala copper deposits in Aktobe Region — a project the company has identified as one of its key assets outside Africa.

    The announcements come as copper prices remain elevated, trading above $12,300 per tonne on the London Metal Exchange, having briefly reached a record above $14,000 per tonne in late January.

  • Chinese Mining Firm Jinxin Secures Kazakhstan Gold Deposit Near Chinese Border After Auction Winner Defaults on Payment

    Chinese Mining Firm Jinxin Secures Kazakhstan Gold Deposit Near Chinese Border After Auction Winner Defaults on Payment

    Chinese company Jinxin Mining has been awarded the rights to develop the Ketmen alluvial gold deposit in Kazakhstan’s Almaty Region, after the original auction winner apparently failed to complete payment — handing the licence to the Chinese firm in circumstances that have drawn public scrutiny.

    The deposit, also known as Predgorny Ketmen, is located close to the Chinese border in the Uygur and Raimbeksky districts of Almaty Region, near the Ketmen and Shalkudysu rivers. Total forecast alluvial gold resources at the site were estimated in 2015 at 7.1 tonnes. According to earlier reporting from 2018, the deposit remained underexplored at that time, with its reserves not fully calculated, a gold-bearing placer extending 15 to 16 kilometres in length, and gold content ranging between 400 and 1,200 milligrams per cubic metre.

    The Ministry of Industry put the deposit up for auction in 2024. According to auction records, the winning bid was submitted by Kazakh firm Korgold at 600 million tenge, with Jinxin Mining placing second at 546 million tenge — just over $1 million. It appears Korgold was subsequently unable to meet its full payment obligation, and the subsoil use rights were transferred to Jinxin Mining, which confirmed its auction commitment. The company received formal notification of its winning status from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry in November 2024.

    Jinxin Mining’s founders are listed as Liu Yanling, Chen Haiyan and the limited liability company Jinxin Mining 1, the beneficial owner of which is Tursunbek Omurzakov, a former member of parliament representing the Communist People’s Party.

    A publicly released site closure and remediation plan filed by the company provides detailed technical parameters for the operation. Mining will be conducted using open-pit methods within the riverbed and terraces of the Ketmen River, using excavator and bulldozer equipment. The quarry will cover an area of 2.2 hectares, extend approximately 1,100 metres along its axis, and reach a depth of up to 8 metres. The average gold grade at the deposit is stated at 0.27 grams per tonne. The document specifies that no long-term conservation of mining infrastructure is planned; upon completion, all structures will be dismantled and the land progressively rehabilitated, with terrain restoration and biological remediation carried out in stages as individual blocks are worked out.

    The deposit had previously been subject to exploration rights held by Tau Ketmen LLP, a company linked to the state mining holding Tau-Ken Samruk.

  • IMC Montan at Minex Kazakhstan 2026: An Expert Perspective on Industry Challenges

    IMC Montan at Minex Kazakhstan 2026: An Expert Perspective on Industry Challenges

    This year, IMC Montan is co-organizing the session “ESG Transformation and the ‘Social License’ in Kazakhstan’s Mining Sector” at the Minex Kazakhstan forum. The company’s experts explain why the ESG agenda is becoming not just a trend, but an economic necessity.

    IMC Montan’s decision to co-organize a session dedicated to sustainable development is driven by the times. Kazakhstan has reached the point of regulatory implementation of ESG principles for business. Previously, this agenda was the prerogative of companies traditionally following international trends and seeking to meet investor or partner requirements. Now, ESG in Kazakhstan is actively developing not only due to external conditions. The mining sector is one of the most sensitive to ESG factors, so sharing experience on this topic will be valuable for all forum participants.

    What issues in this area do you consider most relevant for subsoil users today?

    When it comes to broad issues that go beyond national legislation and form part of sustainable development principles and the application of best available technologies, key topics include mining waste management, energy efficiency, rational water use, and biodiversity conservation. Closure and reclamation aspects deserve special mention. We are confident that forum participants will be interested in unconventional case studies addressing these issues. For example, relatively few experts have real hands-on experience with closure and reclamation works — yet these activities have a significant impact on the overall project economics, and underestimating these costs can become a critical factor. Environmental responsibility is playing an increasingly important role for business, and companies want to see financial benefits or preferences from implementing their environmental policies. The current agenda for subsoil users is therefore focused on asset lifecycle management: from waste handling during operations to post-investment assessment of closure and reclamation obligations.

    You mentioned the topic of mining and processing waste management. Could you share some interesting case studies?

    Mining companies must think carefully about where and how their large-tonnage mineral waste (overburden, processing tailings) will be handled. The main challenge is the sheer volume generated — conventional surface disposal requires significant land areas. The situation is further complicated by the conditions at mine sites: difficult terrain, proximity to populated areas, or the presence of environmentally or socially significant features. Naturally, subsoil users are interested in finding alternative approaches. There is also growing interest in recovering valuable components from mining waste and using waste as construction material or as a component thereof.

    However, waste disposal remains one of the most painful issues, as it is not only an environmental concern but equally an economic and land-property one. The most interesting case studies sit at the intersection of technological and legal solutions. Successful examples show that waste can be not just a financial burden, but a resource — if the rationale and documentation can be structured in line with circular economy principles.

    In our practice, we have encountered a number of innovative solutions. For example, placing tailings in exhausted open-pit voids (with or without prior waterproofing), or producing a specialized material from tailings (a recultivant) for backfilling mined-out areas — treating it not as waste disposal but as product manufacturing. Such unconventional approaches naturally require robust environmental safety justifications, but they open new opportunities. Both tailings management approaches yielded a tangible economic effect (in the range of $27–50 million USD), while requiring careful review of the legal framework and regulatory outlook to eliminate critical administrative risks — not just fines, but potential production shutdowns.

    An important regulatory stimulus emerged in Kazakhstan at the beginning of 2026 with the adoption of the “Concept for Managing All Types of Waste in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2026–2030.” Waste management in the mining and metallurgical industries is identified as one of its strategic priorities. The planned development of the country’s regulatory framework regarding the utilization of mining waste (including as technogenic mineral formations) provides an additional incentive for subsoil users to seek optimal solutions.

    You separately mentioned closure and reclamation. In your view, what practical challenges do subsoil users face when fulfilling their closure and reclamation obligations?

    In our view, the main problem is a lack of understanding of the goals and principles of successful reclamation, which ultimately leads to ineffective solutions. In our practice, we frequently encounter “template” approaches to reclamation planning, and consequently, an underestimation of the associated costs. International practice has long established the core criteria for successful reclamation — environmental (such as site safety in terms of physical, geochemical and ecological parameters, protection of public health and safety, absence of water pollution post-closure, and ecological system integrity) and social (minimizing socioeconomic impacts of closure and generating socioeconomic benefits). Closure and reclamation plans should be developed as early as possible in the project design phase. Each of the mentioned criteria requires consideration during planning. Issues such as the adequacy of mine water management measures, forecasting the geochemical stability of waste dumps post-closure, and stakeholder engagement must be studied and solutions justified.

    In Kazakhstan, subsoil users are required to prepare reclamation plans at the design stage — however, in our observation, such plans tend to be formal documents rather than strategic ones. This can ultimately lead to insufficient financial provision for the required scope of reclamation and closure works when the time comes. That said, effective measures do not always mean costly ones. Some decisions made during overall production planning can reduce closure costs — such as the previously mentioned option of placing tailings in open pits, or accounting for the potential formation of acid drainage and managing it during waste rock stockpiling.

    Turning to the topic of international standards — in your personal view, can their implementation bring real benefits to business?

    Absolutely. Drawing on our practical experience working with industry enterprises across the CIS, we can confidently speak not just of benefits, but of the strategic necessity of implementing international standards. Integrating ESG principles enables a meaningful restructuring of risk management systems. We observe how chaotic responses to environmental and social incidents at many enterprises are being replaced by a systematic approach to predictive analysis and prevention. Standards also act as a catalyst for corporate culture: there is a marked increase in business accountability at all levels, which directly affects companies’ reputational assets.

    It is telling that the initiative most often comes from environmental protection departments — as those most attuned to regulatory changes. However, we have recently noted growing engagement from senior management as well. It is no secret that the cost of using natural resources is steadily rising — and the cost of environmental mistakes is rising even faster.

    Kazakhstan is now at a unique juncture: accumulated experience and current demand from both the state and the market are creating the conditions for a qualitative leap in eco-social responsibility.

    We have discussed challenges, unconventional solutions, economic effects and regulatory changes in the ESG space. What other areas of work — in this or other fields important to subsoil users — can IMC Montan’s experts shed light on?

    IMC Montan has been supporting mining projects for many years, including in the areas of environmental management, sustainable development and risk management. Our accumulated experience — spanning more than 1,000 completed projects worldwide — has allowed us to develop a comprehensive understanding of existing challenges and an expert approach to risk mitigation and overall project management. At the session, we will share illustrative case studies, present quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the approaches being implemented in natural resource management, and do our best to make the meeting both engaging and useful. Information about session participants and discussion topics is available at: https://2026.minexkazakhstan.com/ru/forum-agenda/tehnicheskaya-sessiya-2/

  • IMC Montan на Minex Kazakhstan 2026: экспертный взгляд на вызовы отрасли

    IMC Montan на Minex Kazakhstan 2026: экспертный взгляд на вызовы отрасли

    В этом году компания IMC Montan выступает соорганизатором сессии «ESG-трансформация и «социальная лицензия» в горнодобывающем секторе Казахстана» в рамках форума Minex Kazakhstan. Почему ESG-повестка сегодня становится не просто трендом, а экономической необходимостью рассказали эксперты Компании.

    Решение IMC Montan выступить организатором сессии, посвященной устойчивому развитию, продиктовано временем. Казахстан подошел к регуляторному внедрению принципов ESG для бизнеса. Ранее такая повестка была прерогативой компаний, традиционно следящих за международными трендами и стремящихся соответствовать требованиям инвесторов или партнеров. Сейчас же ESG в Казахстане активно развивается не только за счет внешних условий. Горнодобывающий сектор является одним из наиболее чувствительных к ESG-факторам, поэтому обмен опытом по этой теме будет полезен для всех участников форума.   

    Какие вопросы в этой сфере, как вам кажется, сейчас наиболее актуальны для недропользователей?

    Если говорить о масштабных вопросах, находящихся не только в рамках национальных законодательств, но и являющихся составной частью принципов устойчивого развития и областью внедрения наилучших доступных технологий, то стоит отметить такие, как обращение с отходами недропользования, энергоэффективность, рациональное водопользование, сохранение биоразнообразия. Отдельно стоит отметить аспекты ликвидации и рекультивации. Мы уверены, что, участникам форума будут интересны какие-то нестандартные кейсы решения таких вопросов. Например, не так много экспертов, которые имеют реальный опыт проведения работ по ликвидации и рекультивации, а между тем, данные мероприятия оказывают существенное влияние на экономику проекта в целом, недооценка этих затрат может стать критическим фактором. В настоящее время аспекты экологической ответственности играют все большую роль для бизнеса, и в том числе бизнес хочет видеть финансовые преимущества или получить какие-то преференции от реализации своих экологических политик. Таким образом, актуальная повестка для недропользователей ориентирована на управление жизненным циклом актива: от обращения с отходами в период эксплуатации до постинвестиционной оценки обязательств по ликвидации и рекультивации.

    Вы говорили про тему обращения с отходами добычи и переработки. Можете поделиться какими-то интересными кейсами?

    Предприятия горнодобывающего сектора обязаны задумываться от том, как и куда будут «уходить» их крупнотоннажные минеральные отходы (вскрышные породы, отходы обогащения). И основная сложность при обращении с такими отходами – это объемы их образования, ведь при привычном способе размещения таких отходов на поверхности требуются значительные площади земельных участков. Ситуация осложняется исходными условиями расположения месторождений. Например, сложные условия рельефа или наличие населенных пунктов, других объектов природной или социальной значимости. Естественно, что недропользователи заинтересованы в поиске альтернативных вариантов. Также существенный интерес сегодня вызывают вопросы добычи полезных компонентов из отходов недропользования, использование отходов в качестве строительного сырья или его компонента.

    Но все-таки одним из самых болезненных вопросов остается вопрос размещения отходов, так как он не только экологический, но и в равной степени экономический и земельно-имущественный. Наиболее интересные кейсы лежат на стыке технологических и правовых решений. Успешные примеры показывают, что отходы могут быть не только точкой финансового напряжения, а ресурсом, если удается выстроить логику и документальную базу в соответствии с принципами экономики замкнутого цикла.

    В нашей практике мы сталкивались с рядом интересных решений. Например, размещение хвостов в отработанном пространстве карьеров (как с их предварительной гидроизоляцией, так и без) или производство из хвостов специального материла (рекультиванта) для закладки выработанного пространства (когда речь идет не о размещении отходов обогащения, а о производстве продукта). Безусловно, такие нестандартные подходы требуют достаточных обоснований экологической безопасности, но открывают новые возможности. Оба упомянутых варианта обращения с хвостами имели ощутимый экономический эффект (в размере 27-50 млн. долл. США), но требовали рассмотрения правовых основ и регуляторных перспектив для исключения критических административных рисков (не только штрафных санкций, но и закрытия производства).  

    Важный регуляторный стимул появился в Казахстане в начале 2026 г с принятием «Концепции управления всеми видами отходов в Республике Казахстан на 2026-2030 годы». Управление отходами горнодобывающей и металлургической отраслей определено в ней одним из стратегических направлений. Планируемое развитие нормативно-правовой базы Республики в части вовлечения отходов недропользования в использование (в том числе в качестве техногенных минеральных образований) становится дополнительным стимулом для поиска оптимальных решений со стороны недропользователя.

    Отдельной темой вы упомянули вопросы ликвидации и рекультивации. По вашему мнению, с какими практическими проблемами сталкивается недропользователь при выполнении обязательств по ликвидации и рекультивации? 

    По нашему мнению, основной проблемой является недопонимание целей и принципов успешной рекультивации, что и приводит в итоге к неэффективным решениям. В нашей практике мы часто сталкиваемся с «шаблонными» принципами планирования рекультивационных работ, и, соответственно, недооценке затрат на их проведение. В международной практике давно сформулированы основные критерии успешной рекультивации – экологические (такие как безопасность территории по физическим, геохимическим и экологическим параметрам, безопасность здоровья и жизни населения, отсутствие загрязнения водных ресурсов после закрытия, целостность экологических систем) и социальные (минимизация социально-экономических последствий закрытия к минимуму и получение социально-экономических выгод). При этом разработка Планов закрытия и рекультивации должна осуществляться на как можно более раннем этапе проектирования. Каждый из упомянутых критериев успешной рекультивации требует рассмотрения при планировании. Такие вопросы как достаточность мер по управлению шахтными водами, прогноз геохимической стабильности отвалов после закрытия, учет мнения заинтересованных сторон и другие должны быть изучены, а решения – обоснованы.

    В Казахстане, как мы знаем, формирование недропользователями Планов (проектов) по рекультивации также вменено в обязанность на проектной стадии, однако, по нашим наблюдениям, такие Проекты являются скорее формальными, чем стратегическими. В конечном итоге это может приводить к недостатку финансового обеспечения необходимого объема рекультивационно-ликвидационных работ к моменту их осуществления. При этом, эффективность мероприятий не всегда означает их затратность. Некоторые решения, принятые при планировании всего производства в целом, могут снижать затраты на закрытие. Например, уже ранее приведенный вариант размещения хвостов в карьере.  Или учет возможности формирования кислого стока и управление им в процессе складирования породы в отвалах.

    Переходя к теме международных стандартов, поделитесь личным мнением, может ли их внедрение принести реальные выгоды бизнесу?

    Безусловно, да. Основываясь на практическом опыте взаимодействия с предприятиями отрасли в странах СНГ, мы можем уверенно говорить не просто о пользе, а о стратегической необходимости внедрения международных стандартов. Интеграция принципов ESG позволяет качественно реструктурировать систему управления рисками. Мы наблюдаем, как на многих предприятиях хаотичная реакция на экологические и социальные инциденты сменяется системным подходом к их предиктивному анализу и предотвращению. Стандарты выступают также катализатором корпоративной культуры: фиксируется значительный рост ответственности бизнеса на всех уровнях, что напрямую влияет на репутационные активы компаний.

    Показательно, что, инициатива чаще всего исходит от служб охраны окружающей среды (как наиболее чувствительных к регуляторным изменениям). Однако последнее время можем отметить и рост вовлеченности руководства. Не секрет, что стоимость пользования природными богатствами неуклонно растет, еще в большей прогрессии растет стоимость экологических ошибок бизнеса.

    Казахстан сейчас находится в уникальной точке: накопленный опыт и текущий запрос со стороны государства и рынка создают предпосылки для качественного скачка в повышении эко-социальной ответственности.

    Сегодня мы говорили о вызовах, нестандартных решениях, экономических эффектах и регуляторных изменениях в сфере ESG. Какие еще направления работы в этой или других важных для недропользователя сферах могут раскрыть эксперты IMC Montan? 

    IMC Montan на протяжении многих лет сопровождает горнодобывающие проекты, в том числе в вопросах экологии, устойчивого развития и управления рисками. Накопленный опыт, а это более 1 000 реализованных проектов по всему миру, позволил нам сформировать комплексное понимание существующих проблем и выработать экспертный подход в части нивелирования рисков, да и в целом эффективного управления проектами. На сессии мы поделимся показательными кейсами, отразим количественные и качественные характеристики реализуемых подходов в части управления природопользованием, постараемся, чтобы встреча была интересной и полезной. Информация об участниках сессии и темах обсуждения доступна на активной ссылке площадки: https://2026.minexkazakhstan.com/ru/forum-agenda/tehnicheskaya-sessiya-2/

  • Kazakhstan Seizes $1 Million Mining Equipment Shipment Bound for Russia at Ayat Border Checkpoint

    Kazakhstan Seizes $1 Million Mining Equipment Shipment Bound for Russia at Ayat Border Checkpoint

    Kazakh customs authorities have confiscated a shipment of mining equipment weighing eight tonnes and valued at over $1 million that was being illegally exported to Russia through the Ayat border checkpoint, officials have confirmed.

    The exporter did not hold the required licence to export the equipment, prompting authorities to detain the shipment. Following intervention by the prosecutor’s office, the Kostanay Regional Court ruled that the confiscated assets should be transferred to state ownership, formally confirming both the legality of the seizure and the government’s claim to the equipment.

    The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny across Central Asia over the cross-border movement of technical and industrial hardware, particularly equipment that could be subject to international export controls in the context of sanctions against Russia. Analysts say the case underscores a broader tightening of enforcement at Kazakhstan’s border crossings and could have implications for the regional market in crypto mining hardware, a sector that has seen significant activity in Kazakhstan in recent years.

    Authorities are now expected to review export licensing requirements and consider strengthening customs oversight mechanisms to prevent similar violations.

  • Kazakhstan Unveils 7.5 Trillion Tenge Energy Plan to Build 7.8 GW of New and Upgraded Power Capacity by 2030

    Kazakhstan Unveils 7.5 Trillion Tenge Energy Plan to Build 7.8 GW of New and Upgraded Power Capacity by 2030

    Kazakhstan has launched a national energy project targeting the construction and modernisation of 7.8 gigawatts of power generation capacity by 2030, as the government moves to address a chronic shortage of baseload electricity infrastructure that has constrained economic growth.

    The initiative, announced by the office of Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, will be financed entirely outside the state budget, requiring a minimum of 7.5 trillion tenge in private investment. It represents one of the most ambitious energy infrastructure programmes in the country’s post-independence history.

    At the heart of the plan are several large-scale new power stations. A coal-fired plant with a capacity of 2,640 MW will be built in Ekibastuz — Kazakhstan’s established coal power hub — while facilities of 700 MW and 500 MW are planned for Kurchatov and Zhezkazgan respectively. Advanced coal-fired combined heat and power plants will also be constructed in Kokshetau, Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk.

    Alongside new builds, eleven existing power stations will be modernised during the same period, including the Aksu State Regional Power Plant, Ekibastuz GRES-2 and the Karaganda energy hub. The upgrades are expected to reduce the average wear rate of core power generation equipment across the sector by 12.6% within five years.

    Environmental standards feature prominently in the design of the new coal capacity. All new facilities will be built exclusively using clean coal technologies, incorporating high-efficiency electrostatic precipitators, catalytic nitrogen oxide reduction systems and wet flue gas desulphurisation equipment — measures the government says will bring emissions in line with international standards.

    The energy programme has been synchronised with upstream coal mining and rail logistics planning. Annual energy coal consumption in Kazakhstan is projected to grow by approximately 20 million tonnes by 2030 to fuel the expanded generation fleet. To meet that demand, the country’s fleet of gondola freight wagons will be expanded by 600 units per day, railway infrastructure will be modernised, and predictable tariff corridors for domestic coal supply will be introduced to provide pricing stability for power producers.

    The government also expects the national project to generate significant knock-on demand across the domestic manufacturing sector, including for locally produced boiler units, power transformers and industrial automation systems — embedding the energy build-out within a broader industrial development strategy.