The Kazakh government has allocated 40.7 billion tenge (around $88 million) for geological exploration and the search for promising mineral deposits. The work is planned for 2026-2028 and will focus on gold, copper, lithium, rare earth elements and other strategically important resources, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction reported.
The country continues to expand its geological and geophysical coverage. By the end of 2026, the area covered by geological and geophysical surveys is expected to reach 2.2 million square kilometers. In addition, authorities plan to complete work surveys at 25 sites. One of the key areas will be a transition to more detailed geological mapping at a scale of 1:50,000, or GS-50.
In 2026, Kazakhstan began implementing 20 such GS-50 projects. The studies are expected to help identify promising areas that may contain:
- gold;
- copper;
- polymetallic ores;
- rare earth elements;
- lithium;
- tungsten;
- molybdenum;
- other strategically important minerals.
The work involves more than just surface studies. Specialists will conduct airborne geophysical and geochemical surveys, laboratory analyses, remote sensing data interpretation, drilling and geophysical studies of boreholes.
Of the 40.7 billion tenge allocated by the government, the bulk (32.7 billion tenge) will be spent on detailed GS-50 geological mapping, while the remaining 8 billion tenge will be allocated for seismic exploration.
At the same time, authorities plan to launch six 2D seismic exploration projects. The studies will be carried out in the North Torgai and Shu-Sarysu sedimentary basins, which remain relatively understudied. Funding for these projects is planned for three years, from 2026 to 2028.
