Astana, Kazakhstan, March 23
By Daniyar Mukhtarov - Trend:
The forecasted resources of aluminum (bauxite) in Kazakhstan are estimated at 809 million tons, the chairman of the Geology and Subsoil Use Committee of Kazakh Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, Bazarbay Nurabayev said on March 18.
"The forecasted aluminum (bauxite) resources are estimated at 809 million tons," Nurabayev said while speaking at a meeting on the topic 'Status of the resource base of non-ferrous metals (copper, lead, zinc, aluminum), the ways of development of geological exploration works for nonferrous metals in Kazakhstan'.
The committee chairman recalled that the major part of these resources is concentrated in Torgai province.
During the period from 2003 to 2012 from five to eight fields were under operation. In total around 47 million tons of bauxite was produced and of this, about 4.7 million tons were produced in 2012.
As a result of geological exploration works carried out in 2008-2009 in the fields of East Torgai ore district, some 711,000 tons of growth was achieved in bauxite reserves. No growth was achieved during the period from 2010 to 2012.
During 2000-2013, investments in subsoil use of bauxite amounted to $ 1.3 billion and some $14.6 million of this amount was invested in geological exploration works.
Kazakhstan ranks second for reserves aluminum (bauxite) among CIS countries after Russia. Alongside with bauxite, nepheline syenite, alunite, andalusite and iron aluminide ores can also serve as raw material for producing aluminum. The country's industry processes only bauxite for the time being.
The entire industrial base of bauxite raw material is concentrated in the Northern Kazakhstan. Other regions of the country consist of mostly small fields and low-quality bauxite which currently do not have industrial value.
Translated by L.Z.
Edited by C.N.