Kazakhstan’s Mineral Raw Materials Industry and Its Potential

Abstract

Kazakhstan’s mineral raw materials base is remarkable for its variety and size, and is capable of satisfying the diverse needs of a population numbering more than 16 million persons. Mineral deposits in Kazakhstan are known for their uniqueness, which allows for the establishment of huge industrial facilities. Kazakhstan occupies a leading position in the former Soviet Union with regard to major economic minerals, both in terms of explored reserves and the scope of extraction and processing. In particular, Kazakhstan accounts for significant shares of the former Soviet Union’s mining and processing of the following strategic minerals: chromites, 97 percent; bismuth, 95 percent; tungsten, 52 percent; lead, 47 percent; zinc, 40 percent; copper, 36 percent; bauxites, 25 percent; phosphorites, 31 percent; ferrous ores, 14 percent; and coal and petroleum, 10 percent.