ASTANA, Jan 14 (Kazinform\/APP) :<\/p>\n
In line with the Kazakh President\u2019s tasks to expand geological study of the country using modern exploration methods, the Government is set to launch a new stage of subsurface research at a more detailed scale,\u00a0Qazinform News Agency\u00a0reports.
\nLast year, 20 projects were developed to conduct geological mapping at a 1:50,000 scale over an area of 100,000 km\u00b2, with plans to cover 30,000 km\u00b2 annually in the most promising regions. For comparison, Soviet-era mapping was carried out at a 1:200,000 scale.
\nOver the next three years, 240 billion tenge, or nearly 500 million US dollars, will be channeled for implementing these projects, seismic surveys in underexplored sedimentary basins, and building modern geological infrastructure, against 469 million US dollars invested in geological exploration over the past 15 years.
\nWhen selecting sites, factors such as resource depletion, lack or minimal presence of subsoil users, and potential for priority minerals were considered. As a result, areas with high potential for deposits of copper, gold, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, barite, and bauxite were identified.
\nIt is planned to conduct seismic surveys in the underexplored oil and gas basins such as North Torgai, Shu-Sarysu, and Syrdarya. Additional plans include the modernization of laboratory and analytical facilities and the digitization of geological data.
\nTo note, Kazakhstan\u00a0attracted\u00a0over $70mln worth of investment to exploration for next 6 years.<\/p>\n