OREANDA-NEWS. February 17, 2014. A workshop "Raw materials base condition of gold sector, direction and path of development of gold exploration works in the Republic of Kazakhstan" within the dialogue platform "Geology - 360°" chaired by Deputy Minister of Industry and New Technologies Nurlan Sauranbayev was conducted in Astana.

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan has assigned a task to bring gold production to 70 tons per year in years to come. The solution will require not only increasing gold reserves through exploration work at the expense of the state budget, but also at the expense of subsurface users, the revaluation of the previously identified objects and solving the problems of gold enrichment ores.

Currently, more than 95% of proven gold reserves are used. Reserves of gold deposits are 62% of the state recorded balance. A considerable part of the gold reserves and production accounts for complex gold-containing pyrite-polymetallic deposits.

Reproduction of the mineral resource base of the country is impossible without the formation of exploratory groundwork for what it is necessary to increase the volume of exploration work using the latest advanced geological and geophysical methods. To restore the ore potential of the regions one must perform revaluation of reserves and conduct geological and economic evaluation of not producing fields. Solving the problem of ores enrichment would involve commissioning of a unique by deposit reserves, as well as a number of smaller similar objects.

Explored reserves of gold in Kazakhstan increased by 325 tons in the period 2010-2013. This was stated by the Chairman of the Committee on Geology and Subsoil use of the Ministry of Industry and New Technology of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bazarbay Nurabayev.

A working group has been established to publish the reference book on gold; it included experts from the Committee of Geology and Subsoil use, and also subsurface users of Kazakhstan.

"Similar workshops will be held with stakeholders on all priority minerals and as a result we plan to publish 24 reference books on mineral resources," Bazarbay Nurabayev said.

Deputy Chairman of "Kazgeologiya" Kadyrzhan Kauldashev, Chairman of the Board of JSC "NSTH "Parasat" Abdikarim Zeinullin, Director of  "K. Satpaev Institute of Geological Sciences” Murat Omirserikov, Director of "Altai Geological and Environmental Institute" Yerzhan Sapargaliyev, Head of exploration services in West Kazakhstan Department of "Kazzink-exploration", Chief of the Laboratory of metals SSPAIE "Kazmekhanobr" made presentations at the seminar.

Objective of the workshop is to discuss and determine the main directions of exploration works, proposals and recommendations for addressing problems in the gold sector.