MINEX Forum

Website: Kazakhstan.com

  • Kazakhstan Pivots From Raw Materials to Value-Added Economy With Royalty Reform and Strategic Investor Status at MINEX 2026

    Kazakhstan Pivots From Raw Materials to Value-Added Economy With Royalty Reform and Strategic Investor Status at MINEX 2026

    Kazakhstan is accelerating its transition from a raw materials export model toward a higher value-added economy, with deep in-country processing, legislative reform and the attraction of long-term strategic investors now at the centre of its mining sector strategy, according to the country’s vice minister of industry and construction.

    Speaking at the MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 forum in Astana, Iran Sharkhan outlined the government’s core priorities for the subsoil use sector. “Kazakhstan is moving from a raw materials model to a value-added economy,” he said. “The priority is deep processing of raw materials within the country, technology development and attracting strategic investors oriented toward long-term impact.”

    Central to the reform agenda are two significant legislative changes introduced through 2025 amendments to the Subsoil and Subsoil Use Code. The first is a shift from a mineral extraction tax to a royalty-based system, which the ministry says will improve sector transparency and make Kazakhstan more attractive for long-term investment, particularly in the deep processing segment. The second is the formal introduction of a “strategic investor” status, granting preferential conditions to investors who commit to processing raw materials domestically — creating a direct incentive for value-added industrial development over simple extraction and export.

    On the geological front, Kazakhstan’s mineral resource base encompasses approximately 10,000 registered deposits. In 2025, seventeen deposits were placed on the state register for the first time, including Kok-Zhon, Altyn-Shoko and Samombet. Survey coverage has now reached 2.038 million square kilometres against a target of 2.2 million square kilometres by 2026, with a transition to more detailed geological mapping scales planned to improve the identification of prospective areas. In 2026, auctions for subsoil use rights across 50 deposits are planned for both exploration and hard mineral extraction. A modern laboratory complex is also under development in Astana on the basis of the National Geological Survey, with commissioning scheduled for 2028.

    MINEX Kazakhstan 2026, running from 14 to 16 April in Astana, has brought together more than 500 participants, over 100 speakers, 40 exhibitors and more than 1,000 visitors from 33 countries, with industry reform, processing development and investment attractiveness as its central themes.

  • МФЦА запускает Junior Mining Platform для привлечения международного капитала в раннюю геологоразведку Казахстана

    МФЦА запускает Junior Mining Platform для привлечения международного капитала в раннюю геологоразведку Казахстана

    Международный финансовый центр «Астана» объявил о запуске специализированной Junior Mining Platform, призванной устранить разрыв в финансировании между компаниями ранней стадии геологоразведки и отечественными и международными инвесторами. Инициатива направлена на раскрытие минерального потенциала, скрытого на 65% территории страны, которая по-прежнему остаётся недостаточно изученной с геологической точки зрения.

    Платформа была представлена в преддверии форума MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 на первом заседании вновь созданного Совета экспертов по горнодобывающему сектору МФЦА — консультативного органа, объединившего ведущих участников отрасли, представителей национальных компаний, международных инвесторов и администрации МФЦА. В состав Совета вошли Нариман Абсаметов, председатель правления НГК «Тау-Кен Самрук»; Ерлан Галиев, председатель правления Национальной геологической службы; Аида Альжанова, заместитель генерального директора Solidcore Resources; Саид Султанов, учредитель Aurora Minerals Group; Тим Барри, генеральный директор Arras Minerals Corp.

    В рамках Junior Mining Platform МФЦА выступает связующим звеном между обладателями лицензий и источниками капитала: проекты проходят предварительный скрининг и отбор по признанным в отрасли критериям, после чего представляются отечественным и международным инвесторам. Инициатива призвана решить наиболее острую структурную проблему сектора — дефицит структурированного доступа к капиталу на ранних стадиях разведки. В Казахстане выдано около 3000 лицензий на геологоразведку, требующих инвестиций, однако многие проекты лишены доступа к финансированию из-за отсутствия подтверждения запасов по международным стандартам — JORC и KAZRC.

    Главный директор по продуктам администрации МФЦА Жанболат Какишев отметил, что платформа создаёт «прозрачную и понятную среду, где проекты получают возможность привлечь финансирование на ранних этапах, а инвесторы — доступ к базе проектов, отобранных по признанным в индустрии критериям». В числе финансовых инструментов, которые МФЦА планирует внедрить в рамках платформы, — роялти, стриминговые соглашения и earn-in сделки, широко применяемые на международных рынках юниорного майнинга, но пока недостаточно распространённые в Казахстане.

    Контекст запуска платформы весьма показателен. В 2024 году горнорудный сектор обеспечил 12,1% ВВП и около 33% совокупного экспорта страны. Казахстан располагает значительными запасами меди, золота, хрома, редкоземельных металлов и других полезных ископаемых, а доля горнодобывающих и металлургических проектов в общем объёме прямых иностранных инвестиций составляет 17%, или 3 млрд долларов. На этом фоне мировая потребность в капитале для добывающей отрасли к 2050 году оценивается в 2,1 трлн долларов — и при условии снижения барьеров для финансирования ранних стадий Казахстан имеет все возможности занять позицию регионального инвестиционного хаба.

    Юниорные компании, заинтересованные в участии в платформе, могут подать заявку и ознакомиться с критериями отбора на официальном сайте МФЦА.

  • Kazakhstan’s AIFC Launches Junior Mining Platform to Connect Early-Stage Explorers With International Capital

    Kazakhstan’s AIFC Launches Junior Mining Platform to Connect Early-Stage Explorers With International Capital

    The Astana International Financial Centre has announced the launch of a dedicated Junior Mining Platform designed to bridge the funding gap between early-stage geological exploration companies and domestic and international investors, as Kazakhstan moves to unlock the vast mineral potential that remains hidden across 65% of its still geologically underexplored territory.

    The platform was unveiled ahead of the MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 forum at the inaugural meeting of the AIFC’s newly established Mining Sector Expert Council — an advisory body bringing together leading industry participants including representatives of national companies, international investors and AIFC officials. Council members include Nariman Absametov, chairman of national geological holding Tau-Ken Samruk; Yerlan Galiyev, chairman of the National Geological Survey; Aida Alzhanova, deputy chief executive of Solidcore Resources; Said Sultanov, founder of Aurora Minerals Group; and Tim Barry, chief executive of Arras Minerals Corp.

    The Junior Mining Platform will see the AIFC act as an intermediary between licence holders and capital providers, screening and selecting projects according to recognised industry criteria before presenting them to investors. The initiative is intended to address what the AIFC describes as the sector’s most acute structural problem: a lack of structured access to capital at the exploration stage. Kazakhstan currently has approximately 3,000 active geological exploration licences requiring investment, yet many projects are unable to access financing due to limited reserve confirmation under internationally recognised standards such as JORC and KAZRC.

    AIFC chief product officer Zhanbolat Kakishev said the platform was designed to create “a transparent and understandable environment where projects can attract financing at early stages, and investors can access a pipeline of projects selected according to industry-recognised criteria.” Among the financial instruments the AIFC plans to introduce through the platform are royalty arrangements, streaming agreements and earn-in deals — tools widely used in international junior mining markets but less established in Kazakhstan.

    The backdrop to the launch is significant. Kazakhstan’s mining sector contributed 12.1% of GDP and approximately 33% of total national exports in 2024. The country holds substantial reserves of copper, gold, chromium, rare earth elements and other critical minerals, and mining and metallurgy currently account for 17% — or $3 billion — of total foreign direct investment. Against that backdrop, the global capital requirement for the extractive sector is estimated to reach $2.1 trillion by 2050, presenting a substantial opportunity for Kazakhstan to position itself as a regional investment hub if early-stage financing barriers can be reduced.

    Junior companies wishing to participate in the platform can submit applications and review selection criteria on the AIFC’s official website.

  • Международный горнодобывающий форум с участием 30 стран открылся в Астане

    Международный горнодобывающий форум с участием 30 стран открылся в Астане

    В столице Казахстана открылся международный форум по горнодобывающей отрасли, объединивший представителей из 30 стран. Казахстан намерен повысить эффективность освоения минеральных ресурсов, нарастить уровень переработки и привлечь новые иностранные инвестиции.

    В рамках форума приоритет отдаётся презентации передовых технологий и выстраиванию долгосрочного инвестиционного партнёрства. По мнению экспертов, совершенствование системы цифровизации и лицензирования будет способствовать укреплению инвестиционной привлекательности страны, открывая новый этап промышленного роста, ориентированного на устойчивое развитие.

    Тулеген Муканов, советник исполнительного директора Республиканской ассоциации горнодобывающих и горно-металлургических предприятий, обратил внимание на широкий спектр технологий, представленных на выставке: «Посмотрите, сколько компаний выставились в рамках конгресса — демонстрируют свои технологии. Горнодобывающую технику мы сами не производим. Всё наше оборудование — иностранное: шведское, японское, американское, китайское. Но я заметил ряд новых компаний, которые только начинают. В Караганде начали выпускать запасные части для крупной горной техники — что-то вроде реновации».

    Форум проходит на фоне активных усилий Казахстана по позиционированию себя в качестве приоритетного направления для инвестиций в критические минералы — с опорой на реформы в сфере недропользования, запуск единого портала лицензирования и десятикратное увеличение государственного финансирования геологоразведки, объявленное ранее в этом году.

  • International Mining Forum Unites 30 Nations in Astana as Kazakhstan Targets Investment and Industrial Upgrade

    International Mining Forum Unites 30 Nations in Astana as Kazakhstan Targets Investment and Industrial Upgrade

    An international mining forum bringing together representatives from 30 countries has opened in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, with the Kazakhstani government signalling its ambitions to improve the efficiency of mineral resource development, increase processing capacity and attract greater foreign investment.

    The gathering has placed particular emphasis on the presentation of advanced technologies and the establishment of long-term investment partnerships. Experts attending the forum said that ongoing improvements to the country’s digitalisation agenda and licensing system would strengthen Kazakhstan’s appeal to international investors, marking the beginning of a new phase of industrial growth oriented toward sustainable development.

    Tulegyen Mukanov, adviser to the executive director of the Republican Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises, highlighted the breadth of technology on display. “Look at how many companies are exhibiting at this congress — showcasing their technologies,” he said. “We don’t manufacture mining equipment ourselves. All our machinery comes from abroad — Sweden, Japan, America, China. But I’ve noticed some new companies starting up. In Karaganda, they have begun producing spare parts for heavy mining equipment — a kind of renovation sector is emerging.”

    The forum comes as Kazakhstan continues to position itself as a priority destination for critical minerals investment, backed by recent subsoil use reforms, the launch of a unified licensing portal and a tenfold increase in state geological exploration funding announced earlier this year.

  • Kazakhstan’s Junior Mining Sector Poised for Growth but Held Back by Red Tape, Industry Forum Hears

    Kazakhstan’s Junior Mining Sector Poised for Growth but Held Back by Red Tape, Industry Forum Hears

    Kazakhstan’s junior exploration sector has the geological foundations and regulatory momentum to become a significant driver of new mineral discoveries, but excessive bureaucracy, inadequate targeted support and a one-size-fits-all regulatory framework continue to constrain smaller companies, according to participants at a roundtable held on the sidelines of the Geoscience and Exploration Central Asia 2026 forum in Astana.

    The roundtable — titled “Junior Companies: New Discoveries and the Investment Potential of Central Asia” — brought together investors, junior exploration firms and senior industry experts to assess both the opportunities and the obstacles facing early-stage explorers in Kazakhstan. Presentations were delivered by the chief executives of East Star Resources, QazAurum, Palace Resources, Kogodai and Elementa, as well as the chief geologist of Aurora Minerals Group.

    Opening the session, Kazakhstan Mining Chamber president Ruslan Baimishev said that the subsoil use reforms launched in 2018 had created more favourable conditions for new market entrants, and that junior companies — willing to operate at the earliest, riskiest stages of exploration — were uniquely positioned to generate the new discoveries the country and the global market urgently needed. He noted that a global shortage of major new mineral finds was increasingly directing attention toward the junior sector as the primary source of future resource growth.

    Kogodai CEO Bolat Kabaziyev offered a frank assessment of the structural challenges. Junior companies, he said, differ fundamentally from large producers: they hold no operating assets, are almost entirely dependent on external financing, and typically spend years moving a prospect from initial identification through risk reduction and resource confirmation before it can attract institutional capital. Yet in Kazakhstan, small explorers are largely subject to the same regulatory requirements as major mining companies, despite operating at a fraction of the scale. He argued that commercial success among junior explorers remains rare precisely because access to financing, data quality and decision-making flexibility — the three critical enablers — remain insufficiently developed.

    Participants acknowledged a number of genuine improvements in Kazakhstan’s investment environment: updated legislation, broader access to geological information, simplified licensing procedures and rising investor interest in early-stage exploration. The country’s substantial archive of Soviet-era geological data was highlighted as a strategic asset that, if made more practically accessible, could serve as a foundation for new project generation and foreign investment attraction.

    At the same time, the roundtable identified persistent barriers. Lengthy approval and permitting processes, complexity around land use and environmental requirements, and the absence of dedicated support mechanisms for small exploration companies were all cited as structural weaknesses. Participants called for continued legislative refinement, purpose-built support frameworks for junior operators, and a better-calibrated balance between state oversight and the commercial conditions needed to attract risk capital.

    The consensus was clear: Kazakhstan’s combination of geological endowment, reform momentum and technical expertise creates genuine conditions for junior sector growth — but realising that potential will require the state to treat small explorers as a distinct category deserving tailored policy rather than a scaled-down version of a major mining company.

  • Kazakhstan Junior Qaz Aurum Targets Antimony, Copper and Bonanza-Grade Gold Across Three Projects as It Seeks Investors

    Kazakhstan Junior Qaz Aurum Targets Antimony, Copper and Bonanza-Grade Gold Across Three Projects as It Seeks Investors

    Kazakhstani junior exploration company Qaz Aurum is advancing a diverse portfolio of antimony, copper and gold projects across several regions of the country, driven in part by geopolitical shifts that have dramatically elevated the strategic value of the minerals it is chasing, the company’s director Takhir Kaliyev told the Geoscience and Exploration Central Asia forum in Astana.

    At the Karasuk antimony project in Aktobe Region, historic data points to high-quality mineralisation averaging 6.5% antimony, with peak grades reaching as high as 31% at individual occurrences. The project hosts two mineral showings separated by a tectonic fault which the company believes could host additional resources. All preparatory work has been completed, geophysical surveys and prospecting traverses are planned, and Qaz Aurum says it is ready to begin drilling at Karasuk this year. Antimony — a metalloid that hardens alloys and has critical applications in defence, flame retardants and battery technology — has surged in strategic importance following China’s export restrictions on the material.

    On copper, the company is active at the Egemen porphyry copper project near the settlement of Shortandy in Akmola Region, which benefits from well-developed existing infrastructure. Of 17 drill holes completed to date, 16 have intersected ore-grade mineralisation. The mineralised strike extends approximately two kilometres with widths of up to 300 metres, and the deposit also contains molybdenum. Historical surveys conducted in the 1970s estimated copper potential at 10 million tonnes across the broader area, while Qaz Aurum has so far delineated 370,000 tonnes of copper equivalent in resources. Drilling and metallurgical testing are planned over the next two years, and the company is actively seeking investors to support the programme given current funding constraints.

    The most advanced project in the portfolio is the Ungyrtas gold deposit, located 70 kilometres from Almaty. Qaz Aurum describes it as a high-grade, bonanza-style system — sample grades have exceeded 100 grams of gold per tonne in multiple instances, with a peak assay of 789 grams per tonne. A preliminary resource block modelled in Micromine returned an average grade of 19 grams per tonne over a 50-metre intersection. Metallurgical testwork using gravity separation and cyanidation has achieved gold recovery of 85.6%. The company has already reached an agreement with a processing plant located 70 kilometres away, allowing ore to be delivered without the need for capital-intensive on-site processing infrastructure. Drilling is planned for this year, with a resource estimate to follow, and the company intends to apply for a mining licence in 2026 with production targeted to begin the following year. Investor discussions are also underway for Ungyrtas.

    In addition, Qaz Aurum is in the process of securing fresh exploration licences in the northern Pribalkhashye region, targeting copper and gold mineralisation. Following the forum, company geologists were set to travel to the area on a week-long field expedition to verify mineralisation described in historic geological reports, ahead of planned geophysical, geochemical and drilling programmes.

  • Kazakhstan Plans 11% Rise in Coal Output to 128.9 Million Tonnes in 2026 as Investment Surges and New Licences Come to Market

    Kazakhstan Plans 11% Rise in Coal Output to 128.9 Million Tonnes in 2026 as Investment Surges and New Licences Come to Market

    Kazakhstan’s mining operators plan to increase coal production by 11% in 2026, targeting output of 128.9 million tonnes against the 115.9 million tonnes extracted in 2025 — itself a 7% increase on the prior year — according to Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov, speaking at a government session.

    The accelerating production trajectory is backed by a significant uplift in sector investment. Approximately 553.5 billion tenge is earmarked for the coal industry in 2026, nearly doubling the 305 billion tenge invested in 2025 according to data drawn from mining contract work programmes. Before the end of the year, the Ministry of Energy also plans to hold an auction offering subsoil use rights across approximately ten coal deposits, signalling continued confidence in the sector’s expansion.

    Kazakhstan holds the world’s tenth-largest coal reserves, with 33.6 billion tonnes of the fossil fuel contained within its subsoil — sufficient to sustain extraction at current rates for more than 300 years. The country’s coal base underpins both its domestic energy system and a growing export trade.

    Of the 115.9 million tonnes produced in 2025, 85.9 million tonnes were directed to domestic consumption, serving the municipal heating sector, power generation and industrial users. A further 30 million tonnes were exported, with Russia, Poland, Uzbekistan, Turkey, India and Malaysia among the principal destination markets.

  • Caspian Sunrise Expands into Mining with $25–45 Million Acquisition in Kazakhstan

    Caspian Sunrise Expands into Mining with $25–45 Million Acquisition in Kazakhstan

    UK-based oil and gas company Caspian Sunrise plc is moving to diversify its portfolio through the acquisition of mining assets in Kazakhstan, with a deal valued between 25 and 45 million dollars.

    Under the agreement, the company will acquire 100 percent of Kazikhan Limited, which holds stakes in several entities licensed to explore and develop deposits of manganese, gold, silver, copper, and molybdenum.

    Among the key assets, GRK Borly LLP holds a production licence for manganese with confirmed reserves of approximately 8 million tonnes, while Zhambas PV controls exploration licences for gold and copper, including an estimated 700 kilograms of gold.

    The transaction reflects Caspian Sunrise’s strategic shift toward mining, aimed at increasing profitability while reducing reliance on Kazakhstan’s oil and gas sector. Company leadership views mining projects as requiring lower upfront capital and offering greater resilience to regulatory pressures and commodity price volatility.

    Kazikhan is owned by private shareholders linked to the Oraziman Family Concert Party, which collectively holds a controlling stake in Caspian Sunrise, highlighting a close alignment between the entities involved in the transaction.

    Caspian Sunrise’s core operations remain centred on its BNG contract area in western Kazakhstan, where it is engaged in crude oil exploration and production, alongside oilfield services. However, the latest acquisition follows an earlier move in December, when the company announced the purchase of another Kazakhstan-based asset containing titanium, zirconium, gold, and rare earth elements located near Ekibastuz.

    The expansion signals a broader strategy to build a diversified resource portfolio, positioning the company to benefit from both traditional hydrocarbons and the growing demand for critical and industrial minerals.

  • Kazakhstan Shifts Focus to Critical Minerals as Exploration Accelerates

    Kazakhstan Shifts Focus to Critical Minerals as Exploration Accelerates

    Kazakhstan is intensifying its geological exploration efforts as it adapts to shifting global demand and prepares for a gradual decline in oil production. While the country has long relied on its vast natural resources, current priorities are increasingly focused on rare and critical minerals, which are emerging as key drivers of future economic growth.

    Over the past year alone, 17 new deposits have been discovered, underscoring the continued potential of the country’s subsoil. Exploration activity has expanded significantly, with geological survey coverage reaching more than 2 million square kilometres. Authorities plan to extend mapping across an additional 100 thousand square kilometres this year, supported by 20 approved project initiatives involving national and industry stakeholders.

    Kazakhstan’s mineral base remains substantial, with approximately 10 thousand deposits identified across the country. Proven reserves include gold, silver, copper, and phosphorites, while total reserves across major resources exceed 2369 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 ore.

    A key development is the creation of a certified laboratory complex under the National Geological Service, scheduled for completion by 2028. The facility, valued at 14 billion tenge, will enhance analytical capabilities and support more precise geological data processing.

    According to officials, rising global demand for copper, gold, and rare earth elements is driving a strategic shift in the sector. Greater emphasis is now being placed on improving data accuracy, increasing transparency, and strengthening the investment climate. Over the next three years, the government plans to allocate approximately 240 billion tenge to geological exploration, while also preparing to auction new перспективные участки starting in 2027.

    This renewed focus is partly driven by declining oil output in certain regions, where production has dropped significantly due to resource depletion. In response, exploration is expanding into underexplored sedimentary basins such as the Aral and Syrdarya regions.

    Kazakhstan is also attracting growing private investment, with around 280 billion tenge injected into exploration over the past three years. Rare earth and rare metals are becoming central to this strategy, including deposits such as Kuyryktikol, discovered in 2025, which contains significant reserves of cerium, neodymium, and yttrium.

    More than 100 known deposits across the country contain critical minerals such as tungsten, molybdenum, lithium, beryllium, niobium, tantalum, germanium, and gallium. These materials are essential for high-tech industries, including electric vehicles, electronics, and energy systems, further boosting Kazakhstan’s export potential.

    The evolving structure of the mining sector reflects a broader transformation. Unlike in the past, when extraction often focused on individual elements, modern development requires integrated approaches and advanced technologies. This shift is increasing the sector’s reliance on innovation and international collaboration, as Kazakhstan positions itself as a key supplier in the global critical minerals market.