Kazakhstan Doubles Refined Gold Output Over the Past Decade

Kazakhstan has doubled its refined gold production over the last ten years, driven by a 2.2-fold increase in gold ore extraction. The country now ranks among the world’s top twenty nations in terms of gold reserves, Orda.kz reports.

Speaking at the AMM Congress, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction, Iran Sharhan, highlighted Kazakhstan’s broader role in global metal production.

Over the past 10 years, the production of gold-bearing ores has increased by 2.2 times, and accordingly, the production of refined gold has doubled. This has allowed Kazakhstan to enter the top 20 countries in the world in terms of gold reserves. To increase the existing potential, it is necessary to actively develop geological exploration, said the Vice Minister.

To support this growth, Kazakhstan has adopted a geological exploration model based on Australia’s system. Over 420 billion tenge have already been invested, with exploration efforts covering nearly 1.9 million square kilometers of the country.

By 2026, that figure is expected to rise to 2.2 million.

In the near future, an electronic auction is planned for 50 deposits of gold, silver, coal and rare metals, which will further expand access to promising sites. At the same time, we must not only expand the mineral base, but also review the subsoil use model itself, added Sharhan.

Kazakhstan is also working to transition from a traditional extraction-based model to a circular one, focused on reusing materials. The country has accumulated more than 55 billion tons of man-made waste, which is now slated for industrial processing.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov