In a significant development for Kazakhstan’s mining sector, the government has announced the registration of 54 new mineral deposits between 2024 and 2025. This move has resulted in a notable increase in the country’s mineral resources, including an additional 157.2 tonnes of gold, 9,400 tonnes of silver, and 122,700 tonnes of copper. The Ministry of Industry and Construction reported that 35 deposits were registered in 2024, comprising 23 solid minerals, six hydrocarbon resources, and six underground water sources. In 2025, a further 19 deposits were added, including 17 solid minerals, one hydrocarbon resource, and one underground water source.
The increase in mineral reserves is significant, with notable additions across various minerals. The updated figures include 927,000 tonnes of chrome ore, 171,900 tonnes of zinc, 114,800 tonnes of lead, and 262.2 million tonnes of iron ore. Additionally, the country has identified 199 million tonnes of oil and 22 billion cubic meters of gas, alongside 104,148 cubic meters per day of underground water. Overall, Kazakhstan now has approximately 10,000 registered mineral deposits, with 935,400 tonnes of forecasted rare earth metal resources identified in prospective areas.
The search for critical and strategic minerals, essential for industrial development and new technologies, has become a key focus for the government. Among these minerals are gold, copper, polymetals, lithium, tungsten, molybdenum, as well as rare and rare earth metals. Kazakhstan possesses a resource base for several of these materials, with significant lithium deposits located at Karagailyaktas, Akhmetkino, and Akhimirovskoye. The largest molybdenum deposits are found in the Karaganda region, including Koktenkol, Verkhne-Kairaktinskoe, and Northern Katpar, while the Aбай region features the notable Aydarly deposit.
Rare and rare earth metals play a crucial role in modern technologies and prospective industries. Their development is important not only for the raw materials sector but also for the broader industrial advancement of the country. Currently, research has been completed on 11 sites included in the exploration programme, with the Kuyraktykol site in the Karaganda region identified as particularly promising. High forecasted concentrations of rare earth metals such as La, Ce, Nd, and Y have been reported, with total forecasted resources across the sites amounting to 935,400 tonnes. Additionally, reserves in the C2 category have been estimated at 795,800 tonnes in the Irgyz area, with further potential identified at sites like Kenkuduk, Rzhavaya Sopka, Mirolubovsky, Bokai, and Kuneoy.
The government-funded geological works are part of a budget programme aimed at ensuring the rational and comprehensive use of subsoil resources and enhancing geological knowledge of the territory. For the years 2024-2026, the state budget allocation for these activities totals 62.4 billion tenge, with 6.6 billion tenge earmarked for 2024, 7.9 billion tenge for 2025, and 47.9 billion tenge for 2026. The programme encompasses regional geological surveys, exploration and assessment works, which are expected to improve the quality and completeness of geological information necessary for both state management of subsoil resources and the activities of subsoil users.
As part of these efforts, data from paper records is being digitised. A unified subsoil use platform has been established, featuring a map of Kazakhstan’s subsoil use, which currently hosts 66,100 initial geological report volumes, linked to 109,500 study contours. Furthermore, over 4.8 million units of primary geological information have been digitised, including approximately 4.3 million sheets of paper records, 355,000 graphic applications, 97,000 magnetic tapes, and 62,000 cartridges. This digitisation effort significantly enhances the accessibility of geological materials for users, allowing investors and subsoil users to access reports and evaluate the potential interest of specific areas without solely relying on paper archives.
