Tengrinews.kz - The Chair of the Geology Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Construction, Yerlan Akbarov, addressed questions about the longevity of Kazakhstan’s mineral reserves.
When asked how long the country’s resources might last, Akbarov explained:
"Some deposits have been exploited for a long time. For example, gold reserves are estimated to last about 20 years, while copper reserves are sufficient for around 40 years. Overall, the national outlook is stable, with most minerals having reserves for approximately 40 years. However, there are geological and technical challenges, and in some cases, reserves may last only 10 or even five years. On average, the country’s reserves are expected to last about 20 years," Akbarov stated during a briefing at the Central Communications Service.
He emphasized the importance of geological exploration to discover new deposits.
"We have resources that require further study, and we are actively working on this. One of the key focuses of our committee is improving the efficiency of geological exploration. Starting next year, we will transition from a scale of 1:200,000 to 1:500,000, which will help us identify many concealed and geologically complex sites. I believe this will give a boost to replenishing our mineral resource base," Akbarov added.
It is worth noting that Kazakhstan recently discovered a major rare-earth metals deposit, with reserves estimated at around 800,000 tons and projected resources of 935,400 tons, including cerium and lanthanoids.
Kazakhstan and rare earth metals: new oil?
