China Nonferrous Mining Corporation Limited plans to invest $600 million in copper mining at the Benkala mine in the Aktobe region, Kazakhstan, according to economist Arman Batayev, who runs Finmentor.KZ Telegram channel.
A subsidiary of the state-owned China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group announced that it views the Bankala project as one of its key projects outside Africa at a year-end briefing. In December 2025, the enterprise increased its stake to 70% in SM Minerals Ltd. — a company registered with the Astana International Financial Centre that holds rights to mining and geological exploration at the North and South Benkala deposits in the Aktobe region.
The Chinese investor is set to allocate $600 million to the project, with a construction period of approximately two years. Once the mining launch is completed, the project is expected to reach an annual capacity of 45,000 tons of copper in concentrate. The mine’s resource base is estimated at around 1.5 million tons of copper, with an average grade of approximately 0.4%.
Production may begin closer to 2028-2029. The Chinese company views Kazakhstan as a new growth region, benefiting from low electricity and fuel costs, and plans further expansion in Central Asia.
