ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 13. Kazakhstan is completing the stage of its state program for geological exploration of subsoil resources, Trend reports via the press service of the Ministry of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan.
"The Committee of Geology of the Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan has summarized the implementation of the State Program for Geological and Geophysical Exploration of Subsoil Resources for the period 2019-2024. Over six years, large-scale geological exploration work has been carried out, covering 2.014 million square kilometers, which is 91.6 percent of the planned area," the information states.
According to the ministry, the goal of the program is to achieve full geological coverage of the country's territory by 2026, increase the investment attractiveness of subsoil resources, and create a scientific foundation for the sustainable development of the mineral and raw materials complex.
Work has been completed on 112 sites in four main areas: geological re-exploration, mineralogical mapping, deep mapping, and hydrogeology.
38 promising sites with forecasted resources have been identified:
Rare earth metals – 2.6 million tons
Copper and nickel – 3.7 million tons
Brown coal – 1.1 billion tons
Gold – 19 tons
Additionally, in the oil and gas sector, recoverable hydrocarbon resources of 266 million tons have been confirmed in the Aral Sedimentary Basin.
During the program's implementation, 306 licenses for geological exploration have been issued. Private investments in the sector have exceeded 137 billion tenge (approximately $274 million).
"It is worth noting the growth in human resources and the popularization of the geology profession. From 2022 to 2024, the number of graduates in the specialty 'Geology' increased 2.5 times. The first state award for specialists in the industry, Honored Geologist, was established," the Ministry of Industry and Construction summarized.
The ministry states that Kazakhstan is moving towards becoming a leader in Central Asia in the quality of geological exploration and transparency in subsoil use. The program will continue to be implemented in 2025-2026, covering the remaining 200,000 square kilometers. The focus will be on the southern and western regions, including the Syrdarya Basin and promising sites for rare metals.
Meanwhile, rare earth element deposits were discovered in the Karaganda region. The forecasted resources for one of them exceed 20 million tons.
In June 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Construction plans to conduct an electronic auction for 50 deposits.
