2015 Minerals Yearbook

KAZAKHSTAN [ADVANCE RELEASE]

U.S. Department of the Interior August 2019 U.S. Geological Survey The Mineral Industry of Kazakhstan By Elena Safirova

In 2015, Kazakhstan produced a diverse range of mineral Minerals in the National Economy commodities and was the world’s leading producer of uranium (41% of world output), the second-ranked producer of chromite In 2015, Kazakhstan’s real GDP increased by 1.2% compared (18% of world output), and the fourth-ranked producer of with that of 2014, and the nominal 2015 GDP was valued at 1 titanium sponge (6% of world output). The country was also a 40.9 trillion tenge ($184.5 billion). Total nominal industrial significant producer of barite, bauxite, cadmium, magnesium production was valued at 14.9 trillion tenge ($67.3 billion) metal, sulfur, and zinc. The mineral industry accounted for and real industrial production decreased by 1.6% from that of a significant share of the country’s gross domestic product 2014. Mineral extraction played a significant role in industrial (GDP) and export revenue; petroleum and natural gas were the production—7.5 trillion tenge (about $33.9 billion), or 50.4% leading commodities in terms of production value. Kazakhstan’s of the value of industrial production was from this sector. This Government promoted the development of the mineral industry amount included 5.7 trillion tenge (about $26.0 billion) from the and owned interests in a number of significant mineral- extraction of crude petroleum, 603 billion tenge ($2.7 billion) commodity-producing companies (table 1; World Nuclear from the mining of nonferrous metal ores, 213 billion tenge Association, 2015; U.S. Energy Information Administration, (about $1.0 billion) from the extraction of coal and lignite, 2016; Apodaca 2017; Bedinger, 2017; Bray, 2017a, b; McRae, 137 trillion tenge (about $618 billion) from the mining of iron 2017; Papp, 2017; Polyak, 2017; Tolcin, 2017a, b). ore, and 123 billion tenge ($555 million) from the extraction In 2015, many companies in Kazakhstan encountered of natural gas. In comparison with 2014, real output of natural financial problems because of the historically low prices for gas increased by 7.1%, and that of mined nonferrous metals, petroleum, steel, and many nonferrous metals. The Government by 4.5%. On the other hand, real output of crude petroleum of Kazakhstan developed several measures to provide financial decreased by 1.7%; coal, by 7.2%; and ferrous ores, by 22%. support to affected companies. One of the measures, which In 2015, metallurgy contributed $9.7 billion to industrial output, applied mostly to oil-producing companies, was the reduction of of which nonferrous metallurgy and the production of precious the tax burden. The reductions were considered on an individual metals contributed $6.1 billion; petroleum refining and coke basis—the tax rate was not reduced for all companies. Some production contributed $2.1 billion. Compared with output in other companies—for example, ArcelorMittal (steel producer) 2014, real output of nonferrous and precious metals increased and TOO Kazzinc (mining company specializing in nonferrous by 23.4% and that of ferrous metals increased by 0.9%, whereas metals)—received financing from the Bank for Development of petroleum refining and coke production decreased by 2.4% Kazakhstan, which was a Government bank created to promote (Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2016a, innovation in the industrial sector and infrastructure. The loans p. 148–377; 2016b). were given for day-to-day operations, such as export operations, Mineral Trade acquisition of raw materials, and production needs (Dknews.kz, 2015b; Kapital.kz, 2015a; Mineral.ru, 2015j). In 2015, the value of Kazakhstan’s exports was $46.5 billion, In July 2015, following 19 years of negotiations (since which was a 42% decrease compared with the value of January 1996, when Kazakhstan first applied for membership), exports in 2014; Kazakhstan’s imports decreased by 26% Kazakhstan joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). As of to $30.6 billion. Mineral products composed 71.3% of 2015, Kazakhstan had trade relations with about 185 countries, Kazakhstan’s total exports, of which mineral fuels accounted and 90% of the trade flow was with countries that were WTO for $31.1 billion, or 67.7% of the country’s total exports. members. The country expected that joining the WTO would The reduction in export revenues in 2015 compared with make Kazakhstan more attractive for investment and would those in 2014 was owing to the decrease in exports of several contribute to the creation of new companies and jobs, as WTO mineral commodities. Revenues from crude petroleum exports membership is thought to serve as an indicator of a country’s decreased by 50.0%, to $26.8 billion from $53.6 billion, reliability as a trade partner. Other benefits of being a WTO predominantly because of the decrease in oil prices to an member were to simplify resolution of trade disputes should average price of $57.4 per barrel in 2015 from an average they arise. On the other hand, the country would need to abide price of $107.2 per barrel in 2014; the physical volume of by the requirements of free trade. In particular, the Government exported oil decreased by only 6.8%, to 63.6 million metric tons requirement that exported goods from Kazakhstan have a (Mt) from 68.2 Mt. The revenues from exports of ores and high percentage of Kazakhstan-originated content would have metal concentrates decreased by 58%, to $1.1 billion from to be removed after 2021. Also, because of the WTO rules, $2.6 billion; these exports decreased in amount by 42.3%, Government subsidies for exporters would be eliminated. In 2015, the Government spent a total of about $225 million on 1 support of exporters of industrial products (Dknews.kz, 2015a; Where necessary, values have been converted from Kazakhstani tenge (KZT) to U.S. dollars (US$) at an annual average exchange rate of Tengrinews.kz, 2015). KZT221.73=US$1.00 for 2015 and KZT179.19=US$1.00 for 2014.

Kazakhstan—2015 [ADVANCE RELEASE] 24.1 to 10.4 Mt from 18 Mt. Revenue from exports of natural gas that, between 2015 and 2019, the Government would spend decreased by 7.3%, to 1.75 billion from $1.89 billion (Agency about 120 billion tenge ($541 million) from the regular of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2016a p. 383–410; Government budget on exploration activity. In addition, the Kaznex Invest, 2016). Government expected the private sector to invest an additional Overall, revenues from exports of all manufactured goods 900 billion tenge ($4 billion) in exploration activities. In 2015, decreased by $4.7 billion. In particular, revenues from exports the Government was planning to spend about 17.2 billion tenge of petroleum products decreased by 53.8%, to $1.4 billion ($78 million) from the annual budget and about 6 billion tenge in 2015 from $3.0 billion in 2014; revenues from exports of ($27 million) more would be financed by the National Fund of petroleum gases decreased by 55%, to $800 million in 2015 Kazakhstan. As of the end of 2015, however, only 11 billion from $1.4 billion in 2014. On the other hand, revenues from tenge ($49.6 million) had been spent on exploration from the exports of uranium increased by 8.7%, to $2.3 billion in 2015 Government budget. For 2016, the Government projected that from $2.1 billion in 2014; revenues from exports of refined it would spend about 17.3 billion tenge (about $80 million) on copper increased by 12.2%, to $1.9 billion in 2015 from exploration, but it was not clear whether this amount would be $1.7 billion in 2014; revenues from exports of aluminum, by available (Kapital.kz, 2015c, g; Kaparov, 2016). 8.2%, to $378 million in 2015 from $349 million in 2014; The Ministry of Investment and Development expected revenues from exports of aluminum oxide, by 14.6%, to that a new “Law of Subsoil and its Use” (Mining Code) of $340 million in 2015 from $297 million in 2014; and revenues the Republic of Kazakhstan would be adopted by the end from exports of titanium, by 14.5%, to $102.4 million in 2015 of 2016 and go into effect starting in 2017. The new code from $89.5 million in 2014 (Kaznex Invest, 2016). would incorporate the best recent national and international Kazakhstan’s main export partner was Italy, which received experience in organization and regulation of the mining 17.3%, by value, of the country’s exports. It was followed by sector. The new code was intended to contribute to increasing China (11.9%), the Netherlands (10.8%), Russia (9.9%), France transparency, predictability, and efficiency in subsoil use. For and Switzerland (5.8% each), Romania (2.9%), Turkey (2.8%), example, approval of a simple contract for mineral exploration Spain (2.7%), and Ukraine (2.6%). The major commodities was expected to take only 3 days (Mineral.ru, 2015k; imported were foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, and metal Kasumova, 2016). products. Kazakhstan’s main import partner was Russia, which One of the cornerstones of the new law would be adoption supplied 34.4% of Kazakhstan’s imports, by value. It was of the international system of reporting standards for nonfuel followed by China (16.6%); Germany (6.5%); the United States mineral reserves overseen by the Committee for Mineral (4.8%); Italy (3.8%), Ukraine (2.7%); Turkey and Uzbekistan Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO). (2.4% each); France (2.2%), and the Republic of Korea (2.0%) In 2014, Kazakhstan began the process of developing (Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2016a, national reserves standards based on the CRIRSCO template. 383–410). Kazakhstan’s code of reporting standards for geologic exploration, mineral resources, and mineral reserves (the Government Policies and Programs KAZRC code) would be developed under the guidance of an independent KAZRC Association that had been founded by During the 5-year period between 2010 and 2014, one of Kazakhstan’s Association of Exploration Organizations, the Kazakhstan’s priorities was expansion of geologic exploration. Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises, and The 5-year program for development of the mineral sector the National Kazgeologiya Co. The major role of the new resulted in increased reserves of gold, copper, lead, and zinc standards was to increase transparency and attract investors to by 418 metric tons (t), 5.2 Mt, 486,500 t and about 1.0 Mt, Kazakhstan’s mineral sector (Geology.gov.kz, 2015; Kapital.kz, respectively. According to the Ministry for Investment and 2016a; Kasumova, 2016). Development, overall, resources of gold, copper, polymetallic In December, the Ministry of Investment and Development ores, and iron and manganese ores were estimated to be 2,800 t, held the first auction of mineral resources. The auction was 68 Mt, 78 Mt, and 7.5 billion metric tons (Gt), respectively. structured as an English type (so that the auctioned lot would go The reserves of petroleum in Kazakhstan were estimated to be to the highest bidder). The auction initially featured 49 lots for about 17.8 Gt, of which about 10 Gt was located in the Caspian which the combined value of the declared minimal bids totaled Sea Shelf. Those resources, however, were only about 26% of 190 million tenge ($860,000). Of the 49 lots, 38 lots attracted the total extractable resources, and the other 74%, which were bids that exceeded the minimal values and were sold; those located predominantly in the Atyraus and Magnistaus regions, lots were known to contain gold, gemstones, and nonferrous would require more exploration to determine how much of metals. Of the 38 lots sold, 10 were for development of mineral them would constitute reserves. Between 2010 and 2014, about resources and the other 28 were for exploration. As a result of 3.7 billion tenge (about $25 million using an average exchange the auction, the Government received about 1,415 million tenge rate of 148 tenge to $1.00 for the years 2010 through 2014) was ($6.4 million). Auctions were one of the mechanisms the invested in exploration from the annual Government budget; Ministry planned to continue to use to increase transparency in 46% of the total was spent on exploration in West Kazakhstan the distribution of natural resources development rights. The use Province (Mineral.ru, 2015a). of auctions was included in the Kazakhstan’s “Law on Subsoil In 2015, the Government continued to pay special attention to and its Use” at the end of 2014, and the list of resources to be exploration for mineral resources. In March, it was announced

24.2 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS YEARBOOK—2015 auctioned in December 2015 was confirmed by the Ministry in Aktogay and the Bozshakol sites are developed (Kayakiran, June 2015 (Kapital.kz, 2015f). 2014; Metalbulletin.ru, 2016). In February 2015, the Government issued a ban on exports of At the end of 2015, the Bozshakol Mine in the Pavlodar ferrous metal scrap and gold-containing materials. Gold products region was preparing to begin production. Kazakhmys had subject to the ban included unwrought, semifinished, and gold begun construction of the Bozshakol mining and metallurgical scrap, including platinum-plated products. Initially, the ban was complex (GOK) in 2011. As of 2011, the total cost of the project to be in effect from March 1 through the end of August, but it was 406 billion tenge (or about $2.7 billion in 2011 dollars). was later extended to the end of 2015. The goal of the measure The Bozshakol GOK would have the capacity to process was to ensure the supply of raw materials to local producers. In 100,000 metric tons per year (t/yr) of copper concentrate during particular, the Astana gold refinery was operating below capacity the first 10 years of operation. In 2016, Bozshakol was projected and needed raw materials. The measures were first introduced in to produce between 45,000 and 65,000 t of copper in copper June 2014; it was not clear if the measures would be extended cathode equivalent and between 1,550 and 2,200 kilograms (kg) beyond the end of 2015 (Azhigaliyev, 2015; Kapital.kz, 2015e). (reported as between 50,000 and 70,000 troy ounces) of gold. Bozshakol is a polymetallic deposit containing copper, gold, Production molybdenum, and other metals. The reserves at Bozshakol were estimated to be 1.17 Gt grading 0.36% copper and containing Output of many mineral commodities generally decreased about 161,700 kg (reported as 5.2 million troy ounces) of following the decrease in the world oil prices as well as the gold and 57,000 t of molybdenum (MinerJob.ru, 2014, 2015; world prices of several key metals. Production of ferrosilicon Mineral.ru, 2015e; Metalbulletin.ru, 2016; Metalmininginfo.kz, increased by 220 times following the opening of the new 2016a; Thenews.kz, 2016). ferroalloys plant AO TNK Kazchrome in November 2014 in KAZ Minerals produced its first copper cathodes from Aktobe. Production of smelted copper increased by 44.5%; that oxidized ore at its Aktogay deposit in eastern Kazakhstan in of refined copper, by 34%; niobium, by 35%; mined silver, by December 2015. During the month, KAZ Minerals produced 32%; sulfuric acid; by 18.5%; gold metal, by 15.5%; mined about 400 t of copper. The Aktogay deposit was one of the gold, by 13.2%; and phosphate rock, by 10.8%. At the same largest undeveloped deposits in the world, and it was expected time, production of rare earths decreased by 72%; that of other to have a life of 50 years. The Aktogay project had been ferroalloys, by 56%; ferrosilicochromium, by 53%; manganese developed quickly—the project was first approved in late 2012 concentrate, by 44%; mined manganese, by 38%; selenium, by and construction at the site began in early 2013; by the end of 33%; iron ore, by 28%; lignite coal and mined titanium, by 20% 2015, development of an open pit mine had been completed. each; silicomanganese, by 18%; asbestos and titanium sponge, The complex for processing oxidized ore had a planned capacity by 16% each; magnesium metal, by 15%; silicon metal, by 13%; of 15,000 t/yr of copper cathodes. Mining and processing of and gypsum, by 10.7%. These and other production data are in oxidized ore at the Aktogay Mine was expected to continue table 1 (Andreeva, 2014). for 11 years, and the company would later begin mining and Commodity Review processing sulfide ore at some point as well. KAZ Minerals was also building a beneficiation plant for processing sulfide Metals ore, and production of copper concentrate from sulfide ore was expected to begin in 2017. During the first 10 years of mine Copper.—Prior to 2014, the public company Kazakhmys operation, the plant capacity would be 90,000 t/yr of copper in plc was the dominant producer of copper ore and copper metal cathode equivalent from the sulfide ores (Miningnews.kz, 2015; in the country. In October 2014, Kazakhmys completed a Metalbulletin.ru, 2016). restructuring. The mines and plants located in or next to the Gold.—According to the Ministry for Investment and cities of Balkhash, Jezkazghan, and Karagandy (approximately Development of Kazakhstan, the overall gold resources of the two-thirds of Kazakhmys’ copper assets) were divested to country were estimated to be 9,500 t, of which about 7,700 t was Cuprum Holdings Group registered in Mauritius. Kazakhmys located in gold deposits, and the rest, in polymetallic deposits. agreed to pay $240 million as a contribution to the company’s About 53% of the total resources were located in existing gold- working capital. Kazakhmys retained the remaining assets and producing regions and constituted either expansion of reserves was renamed KAZ Minerals plc. KAZ Minerals retained mining at the deep horizons of existing mines or new deposits located in and processing assets in eastern Kazakhstan as well as the close proximity to mines already developed (Mineral.ru, 2015c). Bozymchak Mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also continued working on In 2015, Kazakhstan mined about 57,000 kg of gold and major growth projects, such as the Aktogay, the Bozshakol, and produced about 31,000 kg of refined metal, which was a 13.2% the Koksay sites, which held promise for significantly expanded and 15.5% increase, respectively, compared with that of 2014. In production. The company intended to concentrate on low-cost the past several years, Kazakhstan had been steadily increasing projects with long mine lives. Because of the reorganization, gold mining. Following the lowest production point (in 1997, KAZ Minerals reduced overall copper production to 83,500 t in when only 6,000 kg was produced), the country produced about 2014 from 294,000 t in 2013. In 2015, KAZ Minerals produced 36,800 kg in 2011 and about 42,600 in 2013. The Government 81,100 t of copper cathodes and was expected to produce about expected to increase gold production to 60,000 kg in 2016 150,000 t of copper cathodes in 2016. The company sought to and to reach 75,000 kg by 2019 (table 1; Forbes.kz, 2016; return to a production level of about 300,000 t in 2018 after the Kapital.kz, 2016b).

Kazakhstan—2015 [ADVANCE RELEASE] 24.3 The leading producers of mined gold in Kazakhstan were amount of $2.7 million. The transaction was subject to approval TOO Altyntau Kokshetau, which was owned by TOO Kazzinc by Kazakhstan’s mining regulators (Mineral.ru, 2015i). and GMK Kazakhaltyn, both of which had operations in AO AK Altynalmas mined the Pustynnoye deposit in Akmola Province; Polymetal International plc (Polymetal), Karaghandy Province. The deposit was being mined using an which was one of the leading producers of precious metals in open pit method. In December 2014, Altynalmas completed Russia, had recently entered Kazakhstan’s market and operated construction of a $140 million processing complex that included mostly in Kostanay Province in northern Kazakhstan; and AO all stages of gold production, from mining to production of AK Altynalmas, which operated in Karaghandy Province and in dore alloy. The Pustynnoye project had the capacity to process Zhambyl Province in eastern Kazakhstan (Forbes.kz, 2016). 2 Mt/yr of ore and was expected to provide 450 jobs. In 2015, In 2009, Polymetal acquired a mining license for the Altynalmas produced 3,500 kg of gold in dore bars, including Varvarinskoye deposit in Kostanay Province. In 2015, the 2,480 kg from the Pustynnoye project. Altynalmas had mining company produced about 2,120 kg of gold (reported as rights for the Akbakai, the Aksakal-Beskempir, the Karyernoye, 68,200 troy ounces) and 827 t of copper from the Varvarinskoye the Kenzhem, and the Svetinskoye deposits (Infonedra.kz, 2015; deposit. For comparison, in 2014 and 2013, gold production Inform.kz, 2015). at the mine was 3,050 kg (reported as 98,000 troy ounces) In 2015, the Astana gold refinery planned to produce 10 t and 3.3 kg (reported as 106.8 troy ounces), respectively. The of gold and 6 t of silver, but it was not known if it was able to Varvarinskoye complex, which included a beneficiation plant reach those goals. The refinery opened in December 2013, and and a gold-extracting plant, had a total capacity to process in 2014, it refined 7 t of gold. The Astana refinery was owned 4.2 million metric tons per year (Mt/yr) of ore. The recent by TOO Tau-Ken Altyn and was the newest of Kazakhstan’s decrease in production was related to lower ore grades, which three gold refineries. The refinery expected to reach its full were about 1 gram per metric ton (g/t) gold in 2015. As a result, capacity of 25 t/yr of gold and 50 t/yr of silver in 2019. In the company brought ore mined elsewhere to Varvarinskoye to 2015, the refinery was trying to attract gold producers from make use of the unused processing capacity (Butyrina, 2015; other countries, particularly Iran and Russia, to refine gold at Kapital.kz, 2015d, h; Polymetal International plc, 2017). Astana. Tau-Ken Altyn was working to increase the amount of In September 2014, Polymetal acquired mining rights for gold refined at Astana in order to increase the refinery’s cost the Kyzyl project, which included two gold deposits—the effectiveness. Also, the Good Delivery standard required the Bakyrchik and the Bolshevik deposts; the total amount of the refinery to produce at least 10 t/yr of gold to maintain product transaction was reported to be $618.5 million. According to quality (Lada.kz, 2015; Mineral.ru, 2015b). the feasibility study completed in July 2014, the total reserves Nickel, Cobalt and Copper.—In July 2015, AO Sat Nickel of the Kyzyl project were about 208,400 kg (reported as announced that it planned to build a plant for the production of 6.7 million troy ounces) of gold grading 7.5 g/t of gold. In nickel matte. The construction cost of the plant was estimated addition to the reserves, the deposits had resources of about to be 29.9 billion tenge ($135 million). The company planned to 118,200 kg (reported as 3.8 million troy ounces) grading 6.9 g/t complete construction and commission the plant in 2018 and to gold. In November, the company updated the reserves to about produce an average of 268,000 t/yr of nickel matte at the plant 227,100 kg (reported as 7.3 million troy ounces) grading through 2040. The project was expected to create 600 new jobs. 7.7 g/t gold. The company planned to start construction at Kyzyl The company planned to send the matte to China and Russia in the second quarter of 2016, to begin production in 2018, and for production of nickel metal. AO Sat nickel was mining to continue mining for 20 years. Polymetal expected to produce the Gornostayevskoye silicate nickel-cobalt deposit, which is between 11 and 12 t/yr of gold at Kyzyl. The company planned located in eastern Kazakhstan. According to the Government to produce gold by an open pit method during the first 9 years of records of 1999, the deposit’s probable resources were 20.4 Mt the mine’s operation and then to develop an underground mine. of mineralized material that contained 173,000 t of nickel and The company expected that the first part of the project (the open 12,000 t of cobalt. According to another preliminary resource pit mine) would cost about $500 million and that the total cost estimate conducted in 2008, the deposit had 13.1 Mt of for the entire project would likely exceed $1 billion. In 2015, mineralized material in indicated resources containing 118,000 t Polymetal planned to spend about $5 million on exploration in of nickel and 13.2 Mt in probable resources containing 117,000 t Kazakhstan, predominantly exploration of the Bakyrchik and of nickel (Automan.kz, 2009; Inform.kz, 2014). the Bolshevik deposits (Bekmagbetova, 2015; Butyrina, 2015; In 2015, AO BAST continued to build the first mine and Kapital.kz, 2015d; Kt.kz, 2015; Mineral.ru, 2015h). a processing plant at the Maksut deposit, which is located In August 2015, Polymetal signed an agreement to acquire a in East Kazakhstan Province. The deposit had three sections 25% interest in Aktogay Mys LLC, which held an exploration containing copper-nickel mineralization—the Southern, the license for the Dolinnoye deposit. The company also signed an Northern, and the Western sections. The resources of the Maksut agreement for financing of exploration work and technological deposit were estimated to be 140,000 t of copper at an average investigations at the deposit. At the conclusion of the grade of 0.41% and 112,000 t of nickel at an average grade exploration work, Polymetal would have the right to increase of 0.33%. The company expected to start production in early its share in Aktogay Mys to 50%. According to the agreements, 2016. The initial capacity of the copper flotation processing Polymetal would pay $2.4 million for the 25% share and also plant was 200,000 t/yr of ore. By 2017, the capacity of the plant cover Aktogay Mys’s debts and some other expenses, for a total was expected to increase to 400,000 t/yr of ore and the nickel

24.4 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS YEARBOOK—2015 concentrate production line was expected to begin operations. In Norway (Forbes.kz, 2013; O’Driscoll, 2016; Global Chemical March 2015, BAST conducted an initial public offering (IPO) at Industries, 2017). the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange and obtained 359 million tenge Potash.—As of 2015, Kazakhstan did not produce potash; (about $1.6 million) in shares of stock sold. In the medium term, however, several projects were underway to start potash the company planned to expand the plant capacity to 1,800 t/yr production in the near future. Junior mining company of ore with production of copper and nickel concentrates, Kazakhstan Potash Corp. Ltd. (KPC), which was registered in estimate the Maksut resources according to the Joint Ore Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, had mining licenses for three Reserves Committee (JORC) standard, build a large mining potash deposits in Kazakhstan—the Chelkar, the Satimola, and beneficiation plant, and start production of nickel matte and the Zhilyanskoye deposits. The company obtained (Mineral.ru, 2015l; Shumaeva, 2016; AO Bast, 2017a–c). licenses for developing the Zhilyanskoye and the Chelkar Titanium.—In March 2015, TOO POSUK Titanium, which deposits in 2011 and the license for the Satimola in 2015. was a joint venture of the AO Ust-Kamenogorsk Titanium and The Zhilyanskoye deposit, which was located in Aktobe Magnesium Complex (UKTMK) and POSCO of the Republic Province 10 km to the southeast of the city of Aktobe, had of Korea, produced the first titanium bar. POSUK Titanium was good accessibility to railroad and automobile transportation created in 2010 to build a plant to produce titanium bars and networks. The deposit contained resources of polyhalite and slabs by electron beam melting (EBM). The total cost of the sylvinite; the mineralization was between 0.5 and 2 km wide project was $70 million, and about 25% of the financing was and 5 km long and the ore body was located between 430 and provided by the Bank for Development of Kazakhstan. The 700 meters deep. According to the JORC-compliant estimates construction of the plant started in 2012 and was completed in produced by SRK Consulting, the resources of the deposit November 2014. During the next 10 years, POSUK Titanium were estimated to be 1.1 Gt of potassium salts with potassium planned to produce 6,000 t/yr of titanium bars and slabs and oxide content of between 8.0% and 18.6%. According to the to create about 100 permanent jobs. In 2016, POSUK planned project feasibility study, mining at the Zhilyanskoye deposit to ship titanium bars to the Republic of Korea to be used for would be conducted using an underground method. It was the construction of a nuclear powerplant (Mining.kz, 2015; planned that the company would produce both potassium Oskemen.info, 2015). chloride and potassium-magnesium sulfate. Initially, the plant In August 2015, Iluka Resources Ltd. of Australia would produce 600,000 t/yr of potassium chloride and would announced that it would start exploration for titanium and increase production to 1.2 Mt/yr of potassium chloride within zirconium in Kazakhstan. The company would cooperate 3 years. The the contract for construction of the mine was with the Government on exploration of three sections in signed in April 2015, and construction was projected to cost Akmola, Kostanay, and North Kazakhstan Provinces. Then, if about $550 million (Kazakhstan Potash Corp. Ltd., 2015, 2017; commercially viable resources are discovered, the company was Mineral.ru, 2015g; Metalmininginfo.kz, 2016c). prepared to build mines and beneficiation plants at a total cost of The Chelkar deposit is located 98 km to the southeast of the up to $500 million (Kapital.kz, 2015b). city of Uralsk in northwestern Kazakhstan and covers an area of 779 square kilometers. The deposit has a multilayered salt Industrial Minerals dome structure containing bischofite, borate, carnallite, and silvinite. Layers of potash-magnesium salts with additional Barite.—In 2015, Kazakhstan produced a total of 674,500 t of borate mineralization are found at depths of between 300 barite, which was a 2.9% increase compared with that of 2014. and 1,000 meters. The layers at Chelkar have a dip of about Historically, the leading barite producer in Kazakhstan was 20 degrees, which imposes additional technological challenges. TOO Vostochnoye Rudoupravleniye, which mined the Chiganak In March 2015, Satimola Ltd. of the Virgin Islands informed monobarite deposit in Zhambyl Province (table 1; TOO KPC that it would stop cooperation with KPC on the Chelkar Vostochnoye Rudoupravleniye, 2017). deposit (Metalmininginfo.kz, 2016c). In 2015, a new barite mine and a processing plant The Satimola deposit is located 160 km from the Chelkar were opened in the city of Karazhal, which is located deposit. The deposit was discovered in 1964 and has been 160 kilometers (km) south of Astana in Qaraghandy Province. extensively studied. The JORC-compliant K O resources of The project was operated by TOO Karazhal Operating, which 2 the Satimola deposit were estimated to be 6,000 Mt at a cutoff was a joint venture of TOO Global Chemical Industries of grade of 10% and average K O content of 15.5%, and the Kazakhstan and Halliburton Co. of the United States. The 2 borate resources of the deposit were estimated to be 600 Mt construction of a fully automated processing plant with the at average B O content of 6.95%. KPC started the process to capacity to process 200,000 t/yr of barite ores began in 2013 at a 2 3 acquire the rights to mine the Satimola deposit in 2013, and in total cost was about 4.5 billion tenge (about $29.6 million). The November 2015, it signed an agreement to purchase the rights to plant was optimized for barite ores mined at the nearby Bestobe develop the deposit from Satimola Ltd. through its 100%-owned deposit, which was mined by an open pit method. The resources subsidiary TOO Satbor for $70 million. KPC planned to build a of the Bestobe deposit were estimated to be about 2.5 Mt and mine with an initial capacity of 700,000 t/yr of potassium salts were projected to be sufficient to produce about 1.25 Mt of and, within the following 10 years, to increase the capacity to barite output. About 30% of the output of the Karazhal complex 6 Mt/yr of potash (Kursiv.kz, 2014; Kazakhstan Potash Corp. was expected to be sold domestically, and the other 70% Ltd., 2015, 2017; Mineral.ru, 2015f). was to be exported to Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as to the North Sea oilfields in Denmark and

Kazakhstan—2015 [ADVANCE RELEASE] 24.5 Rare Earths.—In 2015, Kazakhstan produced 68.4 t of total technologies, and double use materials. The company employed rare-earth oxides in concentrate, which was a 71.5% decrease more than 27,000 people and was among the leading uranium compared with production in 2014. The only producer of producers in the world (Rutz, 2015; Zakon.kz, 2016). rare earths in Kazakhstan was Summit Atom Rare Earth Co. (SARECO), which was a joint venture between AO NAK Outlook Kazatomprom (Kazatomprom) (51% interest) and Sumitomo Interest in Kazakhstan’s mineral industry will likely continue Corp. of Japan (49% interest). SARECO was established in to increase along with an increase in the number of projects 2010 to recover rare-earth elements from uranium ore residue. aimed at exploration and extraction of the country’s significant The plant in the city of Stepnogorsk opened in November 2012. mineral resources. Projects involving copper, gold, rare metals, According to the company, the plant had been designed to rare-earth elements, and uranium could be of particular interest. produce 1,500 t/yr of rare-earth oxides during the first 2 years, The number of exploration projects underway in Kazakhstan with an increase in capacity to 3,000 t/yr by 2015 and to indicates the potential for future increases in production between 5,000 and 6,000 t/yr by 2017. At that time, SARECO of mineral commodities in the country, but any future planned to sell its output primarily to Japan. The company also development will depend on a variety of factors, including planned to develop processes to isolate individual rare-earth mineral commodity prices and the development of Government elements from the mix to produce high-purity products. In policies and programs to encourage the growth of the industry. October 2014, SARECO began planning to build a $45 million In particular, if the Government is successful in adopting and plant to separate the total rare-earth oxides (TREOs) into implementing a new mining code, new reserve standards, and individual elements; the plant was expected to create 170 jobs. its program on geologic exploration, the country is likely to The company also planned to build an $83 million plant for the strengthen its position as one of world’s leading producers of production of zirconium oxychloride; the plant would create mineral commodities. 150 jobs and would operate using titanium and zirconium from the Obukhovskoye deposit. At the end of 2014, however, References Cited the situation changed. The world price of rare-earths metals (REMs) decreased by about 50% and continued to decrease Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2016a, Kazakhstan v 2015 during 2015. The apparent quality of the TREO produced by godu—Statisticheskij ezhegodnik Kazakhstana [Kazakhstan in 2015— Statistical yearbook of Kazakhstan]: Astana, Kazakhstan, Agency of Statistics SARECO was also lower than expected and, as a result, the of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 507 p. 2014 output was sold to the Lermontovskiy hydrometallurgical Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2016b, Promyshlennost’ plant in Russia instead of to Shin-Etsu Chemicals and Rhodia Kazakhstana i ego regionov, 2011–2015 [Industry of Kazakhstan and its in Japan. In 2014, SARECO reduced the plant’s nameplate regions, 2011–2015]: Astana, Kazakhstan, Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 218 p. capacity to 700 t/yr of TREO, although it was not clear when the Andreeva, Natalya, 2014, V RK postroili ferrosplavnyi zavod, kogda staryi plant would operate at that capacity (InvestingNews.com, 2012; eshe functsioniruyet [In Kazakhstan, a new ferroalloys plant is built while Metalmininginfo.kz, 2016b). the old one is still in operation]: Kapital.kz, November 19. (Accessed In October 2015, AO Kazgeologiya announced that it, in February 13, 2018, at https://kapital.kz/business/35199/v-rk-postroili- ferrosplavnyj-zavod-kogda-staryj-ecshe-funkcioniruet.html.) cooperation with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp. AO Bast, 2017a, About us: AO Bast. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at (JOGMEC) — the Government of Japan’s public corporation http://bast-mining.kz/about.) involved in the production of petroleum, natural gas, and AO Bast, 2017b, Factbook: AO Bast, 2 p. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at metals— would begin exploration for rare-earth elements http://bast-mining.kz/public/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%82%D0% B1%D1%83%D0%BA%20%D0%91%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%20%D0 in Kazakhstan in the spring of 2016. The deposits of special %90%D0%B2%D0%B3%D1%83%D1%81%D1%82%202015.pdf.) interest for this effort were the Kyzemshek deposit in AO Bast, 2017c, Maksut: AO Bast. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at Karaghandy Province and the Zhanaarkalyk deposit in Kostanay http://bast-mining.kz/projects.) Province, both of which had yttrium as a predominant rare-earth Apodaca, L.E., 2017, Sulfur: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2017, p. 162–163. element (Mineral.ru, 2015d). Automan.kz, 2009, SAT&Company vykupila Gornostayevskoye mestorozhdeniye kobal’t-nikelevyh rud [SAT & Company bought Mineral Fuels and Related Materials the Gornostayevskoye cobalt-nickel deposit]: Newskaz.ru [Almaty, Kazakhstan], November 5. (Accessed November 27, 2017, at Uranium.—In 2015, Kazakhstan increased uranium http://www.automan.kz/341666-satcompany-vykupila-gornostaevskoe- production to 23,800 t from 22,829 t in 2014, which was a mestorozhdenie.html.) Azhigaliyev, Mirkhat, 2015, RK vvodit zapret na vyvoz loma chernyh metallov 4.3% increase. The country remained the world’s leading I zolotosoderzhashego syr’ya [Republic of Kazakhstan introduces a ban producer of uranium, accounting for about 41% of world on export of ferrous metals and gold-containing raw materials]: Zakon.kz, uranium mine output. Kazakhstan had been the world leader in August 20. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://www.zakon.kz/ uranium production since 2009, and during the past 10 years, 4736700-rk-vvodit-zapret-na-vyvoz-loma-chernykh.html.) Bedinger, G.M., 2017, Titanium and titanium dioxide: U.S. Geological Survey the country had increased its uranium production by about Mineral Commodity Summaries 2017, p. 176–177. six times. Kazatomprom, which was a Government-owned Bekmagbetova, Dinara, 2015, Bakyrchik spotknulsya na kontsentrate nuclear operator company, produced 13,000 t of uranium at [Bakyrchik tripped up on concentrate]: Kursiv.kz, March 20. (Accessed its own plants in 2015 compared with 13,156 t of uranium January 10, 2017, at http://www.kursiv.kz/news/kompanii/bakyrchik_ spotknulsya_na_kontsentrate_182/.) in 2014. Kazatomprom was the sole exporter of uranium Bray, E.L., 2017a, Bauxite and alumina: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral and its compounds, rare metals, and nuclear fuel for nuclear Commodity Summaries 2017, p. 32–33. powerplants; it also exported special purpose equipment,

24.6 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS YEARBOOK—2015 Bray, E.L., 2017b, Magnesium metal: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Kapital.kz, 2015c, Eshe 6 mlrd tenge vydeleno iz natsfonda na Commodity Summaries 2016, p. 104–105. geologorazvedku [6 billion tenge more from the national fund is earmarked Butyrina, Elena, 2015, Polymetal International v I polugodii snizil na for exploration]: Kapital.kz, March 18. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at Varvarinskom mestorozhdenii proizvodstvo zolota na 18%, medi na 91% [In https://kapital.kz/economic/38765/ecshe-6-mlrd-tenge-vydeleno-iz-nacfonda- the first half of the year, Polymetal International reduced gold production by na-geologorazvedku.html.) 18%, and copper production, by 91%]: Panoramakz.com, July 17. (Accessed Kapital.kz, 2015d, Kazakhstan privlekatelen dlya investorov v zolotodobyche January 10, 2017, at http://www.panoramakz.com/index.php/economics/ [Kazakhstan is attractive for investors in gold mining]: Kapital.kz, industry/item/38262-.) July 18. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at https://kapital.kz/economic/42096/ Dknews.kz, 2015a, Normy po kazsoderzhaniyu dlya nedropol’zovateley budut kazahstan-privlekatelen-dlya-investorov-v-zolotodobyche.html.) deystvovat’ do 2021 g. [The requirements on the share of Kazakhstan’s Kapital.kz, 2015e, Prodlen zapret na vyvoz loma chernyh production will be in effect until 2021]: Dknews.kz [Almaty, Kazakhstan], metallov [A ban on exports of ferrous metal scrap is extended]: July 1. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://dknews.kz/normy-po- Kapital.kz, September 21. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at https://kapital.kz/ kazsoderzhaniyu-dlya-nedropol-zovatelej-budut-dejstvovat-do-2021-g/.) economic/43844/prodlen-zapret-na-vyvoz-loma-chernyh-metallov.html.) Dknews.kz, 2015b, Pravitel’stvo Kazakhstana razrabotaet nalogovye l’goty dlya Kapital.kz, 2015f, Sostoyalsya pervyi v RK otkrytyi auktsion v sfere kazhdoy neftekompanii [Kazakhstan’s Government will develop tax benefits nedropol’zovaniya [Kazakhstan’s first open auction of mineral resources for each petroleum company]: Dknews.kz[ Almaty, Kazakhstan], June 1. took place]: Kapikal.kz, December 3. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://dknews.kz/pravitel-stvo-kazahstana- https://kapital.kz/economic/45997/sostoyalsya-pervyj-v-rk-otkrytyj-aukcion- razrabotaet-nalogovy-e-l-goty-dlya-kazhdoj-neftekompanii/.) v-sfere-nedropolzovaniya.html.) Forbes.kz, 2013, V Karazhale postroyat kompleks po pererabotke baritovyh rud Kapital.kz, 2015g, V Kazakhstane sokratili podderzhku geologorazvedki [A complex for processing barite ores will be built in Karazhal]: Forbes.kz, [Kazakhstan reduced support of geologic exploration]: April 12. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://forbes.kz/news/2013/04/12/ Kapital.kz, November 24. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at https://kapital.kz/ newsid_24940.) economic/45727/v-kazahstane-sokratili-podderzhku-geologorazvedki.html.) Forbes.kz, 2016, V RK rastet dobycha zolotosoderzhashih rud [In Kazakhstan, Kapital.kz, 2015h, V Polymetal nadeyutsya na eksportiruemuyu rudu production of gold-containing ore is increasing]: Forbes.kz, May 24. [Polymetal has hopes for the exported ore]: Kapital.kz, July 21. Accessed (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://forbes.kz/news/2016/05/24/ January 10, 2017, at https://kapital.kz/economic/42142/v-polymetal- newsid_112389.) nadeyutsya-na-eksportiruemuyu-rudu.html.) Geology.gov.kz, 2015, Vnedreniye mezhdunarosnyh standartov otchetnosti po Kapital.kz, 2016a, RK priobshitsya k semeystvu chestnoy otchetnosti po resursam i zapasam tverdyh poleznyh iskopaemyh povysit investitsionnuyu tverdym poleznym iskopaemym [Kazakhstan will adhere to honest standards privlekatel’nost’ otrasli Kazakhstana [Implementation of international on solid minerals]: Kapital.kz, February 10. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at standards for reporting resources and reserves of solid minerals will increase https://kapital.kz/gosudarstvo/47760/rk-priobcshitsya-k-semejstvu-chestnoj- investment attractiveness of Kazakhstan’s mineral sector]: Committee on otchetnosti-po-tverdym-poleznym-iskopaemym.html.) Geology and Subsoil Use, November 4. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at Kapital.kz, 2016b, V 2016 godu v Kazakhstane budet dobyto 60 tonn zolota http://geology.gov.kz/ru/news/1016-vnedrenie-mezhdunarodnykh-standartov- [Kazakhstan will produce 60 tons of gold in 2016]: Kapital.kz, January 16. otchetnosti-po-resursam-i-zapasam-tverdykh-poleznykh-iskopaemykh- (Accessed January 10, 2017, at https://kapital.kz/economic/47054/ povysit-investitsionnuyu-privlekatelnost-otrasli-kazakhstana.) v-2016-godu-v-kazahstane-budet-dobyto-60-tonn-zolota.html.) Global Chemical Industries, 2017, About us: Global Chemical Industries. Kasumova, Venera, 2016, Dlya nedropol’zovateley vvedut novye standarty (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://gcind.kz/en/about/.) [Kazakhstan will introduce new standards for mining]: Kursiv.kz, Infonedra.kz, 2015, Altynalmas v 2015 g rasschityvaet poluchit’ 3,5 t February 10. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://www.kursiv.kz/news/ [Altynalmas expects to produce 3.5 t[ons] in 2015]: Infonedra.kz, vlast/o-vnedrenie-standartov-crirsco-v-kazahstane/.) December 2. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://infonedra.kz/item/ Kayakiran, Firat, 2014, Kazakhmys completes restructuring, changes name to altynalmas-v-2015-g-rasschityvaet-poluchit-35-t.) KAZ Minerals: Bloomberg.com, October 31. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at Inform.kz, 2014, V 33 mlrd otsenivaetsya stoimost’ osvoeniya mestorozhdeniya http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-10-31/kazakhmys-completes- kobal’t-nikilevyh rud “Gornostaevskoye” v VKO [The cost of development restructuring-changes-name-to-kaz-minerals.) for the cobalt-nickel Gornostayevskoye deposit in VKO is estimated at Kazakhstan Potash Corp. Ltd., 2015, New sale and purchase agreement for 33 billion tenge]: Inform.kz, October 15. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at Satimola Limited signed: Kazakhstan Potash Corp. Ltd., November 16. http://www.inform.kz/rus/article/2706619.) (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://kazakhpotash.com/new-sale-purchase- Inform.kz, 2015, Karagandinskiy zavod “Altynalmas” do kontsa goda agreement-satimola-limited-signed/.) proizvedet 2,5 tonny zolota v splave Dore [Karaganda’s Altynalmas plant will Kazakhstan Potash Corp. Ltd., 2017, The Satimola project: Kazakhstan Potash produce 2.5 t[ons] of gold in dore bars by the end of the year]: Kazinform, Corp. Ltd. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://kazakhpotash.com/projects/ November 23. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://www.inform.kz/ru/ the-satimola-project/.) karagandinskiy-zavod-altynalmas-do-konca-goda-proizvedet-2-5-tonny- Kaznex Invest, 2016, Vneshnyaya Torgovlya Kazakhstana po itogam 2015 goda zolota-v-splave-dore-foto_a2842254.) [International trade of Kazakhstan for 2015]: Astana, Kazakhstan, Kaznex InvestingNews.com, 2012, Japanese firm opens rare earth plant: InvestingNews. Invest, 7 p. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://www.kaznexinvest.kz/ com, November 12. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://investingnews.com/ images/%D0%90%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B7%20 daily/resource-investing/critical-metals-investing/rare-earth-investing/ %D1%8D%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%82%D japanese-firm-opens-rare-earth-plant/.) 0%B0%20%D0%9A%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%85%D1%81%D Kaparov, Ernar, 2016, V geologorazvedku ozhidaetsya chastnyh investitsiy 1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0%20%D0%B7%D0%B0%202015%20 na 900 mlrd tenge [Kazakhstan expects private investment in geological %D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B4.pdf.) exploration to reach 900 billion tenge]: Kursiv.kz, April 1. (Accessed Kt.kz, 2015, Zapasy zolota mestorozhdeniya Bakyrchik okazalis’ na 8% vyshe January 10, 2017, at http://www.kursiv.kz/news/vlast/a-isekesev-ozidaetsa- ozhidaemyh [The reserves on the Bakyrchik gold deposit turned out to be 8% pritok-castnyh-investicij-v-obeme-900-mlrd-v-geologorazvedku/.) higher than expected]: Kt.kz, November 20. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at Kapital.kz, 2015a, ArcelorMittal Temirtau Kaztsinc poluchili ocherednuyu https://www.kt.kz/rus/business/zapasi_zolota_mestorozhdenija_bakirchik_ pomosh’ [ArcelorMittal Temirtau and Kazzinc received more help]: okazalisj_na_8_vishe_ozhidaemih_1153612885.html.) Kapital.kz, September 3. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at https://kapital.kz/ Kursiv.kz, 2014, Avstraliyskiy razvedchik pokupaet mestorozhdeniye business/43349/arselormittal-temirtau-i-kazcink-poluchili-ocherednuyu- [Australian explorer buys a deposit]: Kursiv.kz, October 7. (Accessed pomocsh.html.) January 10, 2017, at http://www.kursiv.kz/news/industry/Avstraliyskiy_ Kapital.kz, 2015b, Avstraliyskaya kompaniya provedet geologorazvedku razvedchik_pokupaet_mestorozhdenie/.) v RK [Australian company will conduct geologic exploration in Lada.kz, 2015, Postavka zolota iz RF i Irana na affinazh v Kazakhstane Kazakhstan]: Kapital.kz, August 22. (Accessed, January 10, 2017, at ozhidaetsya v dekabre [Shipments of gold from Russia and Iran for refining https://kapital.kz/economic/42990/avstralijskaya-kompaniya-provedet- in Kazakhstan are expected in December]: Lada.kz, November 26. (Accessed geologorazvedku-v-rk.html.) January 10, 2017, https://www.lada.kz/another_news/33660-postavka-zolota- iz-rf-i-irana-na-affinazh-v-kazahstan-ozhidaetsya-v-dekabre.html.)

Kazakhstan—2015 [ADVANCE RELEASE] 24.7 McRae, M.E., 2017, Barite: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity MinerJob.ru, 2014, Do kontsa goda v Kazakhstane na Bozshakol’skom Summaries 2017, p. 30–31. GOKe planiruyut dobyt’ pervuyu opytnuyu partiyu rudy [Until yearend, Metalbulletin.ru, 2016, KAZ Minerals gotova nachat’ proizvodstvo medi Bozshakol’skiy mining and beneficiation plant plans to produce the first na Bozshakole [KAZ Minerals is ready to begin copper production at pilot ore]: MinerJob.ru, November 5. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at Bozshakol]: Metalbulletin.ru, January 28. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://www.minerjob.ru/viewnew.php?id=28211.) http://www.metalbulletin.ru/news/color/10123803/.) MinerJob.ru, 2015, Stroitel’stvo krupneyshego mestorozhdeniya medi v Metalmininginfo.kz, 2016a, Bozshakol’skiy GOK planiruyet proizvesti VKO prodolzhaetsya [Construction of the largest copper deposit in eastern 45-65 tys. ton medi v pervyi god raboty [The Bozshakol GOK plans to Kazakhstan continues]: MinerJob.ru, March 17. (Accessed January 10, 2017, produce between 45 and 65 thousand tons of copper in the first year of at http://www.minerjob.ru/viewnew.php?id=28893.) operations]: Metalmininginfo.kg, April 12. (Accessed February 13, 2018, at Mining.kz, 2015, Titanovye slitki iz Ust’-Kamenogorska ispol’zuyut dlyz http://metalmininginfo.kz/archives/3694.) stroitel’stva AES v Yuzhnoy Koree [Titanium slabs from Ust-Kamenogorsk Metalmininginfo.kz, 2016b, Proekt po proizvodstvu RZM buksuet v Stepnogorske will be used in construction of a nuclear powerplant in South Korea]: Mining. [The REM project in Stepnogorsk is stalling]: Metalmininginfo.kz, January 26. kz, November 3. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://www.mining.kz/ (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://metalmininginfo.kz/archives/3410.) ru/arkhiv-novostej/arkhiv-novostej/item/22428-titanovye-slitki-iz-ust- Metalmininginfo.kz, 2016c, Zapasov khvatit let na sto (kaliynyye soli) kamenogorska-ispolzuyut-dlya-stroitelstva-aes-v-yuzhnoj-koree.) [There are enough resources for about hundred years (potash salts)]: Miningnews.kz, 2015, KAZ Minerals sdelala pervyi katod na Aktogae [KAZ Metalmininginfo.kz, August 23. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at Minerals produced first cathodes at Aktogay]: Miningnews.kz, December 2. http://metalmininginfo.kz/archives/4162.) (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://www.metalinfo.ru/ru/news/82702.) Mineral.ru, 2015a, Geologorazvedka rasshiryaet resursnuyu bazu Kazakhstana O’Driscoll, Mike, 2016, Halliburton idles Nevada plant; starts new source [Geologic exploration is expanding Kazakhstan’s resource base]: Mineral.ru, in Kazakhstan: Informed.com, April 26. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at April 21. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://mineral.ru/News/72863.html.) http://imformed.com/barite-capacity-impacted-by-oilfield-blues/.) Mineral.ru, 2015b, K 2019 godu moshnost’ stolichnogo affinazhnogo zavoda Oskemen.info, 2015, Predpriyatiye v VKO planiruyet pervuyu postavky budet sostavlyat’ 25 tonn zolota [By 2019, the capacity of the capital’s gold titanovyh slitkov v Yuzhnuyu Koreyu do kontsa goda [VKO company refinery would amount to 25 tons of gold]: Mineral.ru, July 14. (Accessed plans the first shipment of titanium slabs to South Korea before the end January 10, 2017, at http://mineral.ru/News/74796.html.) of the year]: Oskemen.info, March 17. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at Mineral.ru, 2015c, Kazakhstan otsenivaet svoi zolotye resursy http://oskemen.info/15679-predpriyatie-v-vko-planiruet-pervuyu-postavku- v 9,5 tys. t. [Kazakhstan estimates its gold resources at 9.5 thousand tons]: titanovyh-slitkov-v-yuzhnuyu-koreyu-do-konca-goda.html.) Mineral.ru, March 11. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://mineral.ru/ Papp, J.F., 2017 Chromium: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity News/74479.html.) Summaries 2017, p. 48–49. Mineral.ru, 2015d, Kazgeologiya i JOGMEG nachnut GRR redkozemel’nyh Polymetal International plc, 2017, Varvarinskoye, Proizvodstvennaya metallov v Kazakhstane [Kazgeologiya and JOGMEG will begin exploration deyatel’nost’ [Production activity]: Polymetal International plc. (Accessed for rare-earth metals in Kazakhstan]: Mineral.ru, October 27. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://www.polymetal.ru/operations-landing/varvara/ January 10, 2017, at http://mineral.ru/News/77855.html.) operations.aspx?sc_lang=ru-RU.) Mineral.ru, 2015e, KAZ Minerals do kontsa goda zapustit GOK na Bozshakole Rutz, Julia, 2015, Kazakhstan increases uranium production: Astanatimes.com [KAZ Minerals will open a mining complex at Bozshakol by the end [Astana, Kazakhstan], August 18. (Accessed January 11, 2017, at of the year]: Mineral.ru, October 6. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://astanatimes.com/2015/08/kazakhstan-increases-uranium-production/.) http://mineral.ru/News/77587.html.) Shumaeva, Dinara, 2016, BAST: god spustya posle IPO [BAST—A year Mineral.ru, 2015f, Kompaniya Satimola otkazyvaetsya ot kaliynogo proekta after the IPO]: Kursiv.kz, March 14. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at v Kazakhstane [Satimola company declined potash project in Kazakhstan]: http://www.kursiv.kz/news/finansy/bast-god-spusta-posle-ipo/.) Mineral.ru, March 11. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://mineral.ru/ Tengrinews.kz, 2015, Kazakhstan ofitsial’no vstupil v WTO [Kazakhstan News/72330.html.) officially joined WTO]: Tengrinews.kz [Almaty, Kazakhstan], July 27. Mineral.ru, 2015g, Podpisan kontrakt o stroitel’stve rudnika na Zhilyanskom (Accessed January 10, 2017, at https://tengrinews.kz/kazakhstan_news/ kaliynom mestorozhdenii v Kazakhstane [A contract for construction of kazahstan-ofitsialno-vstupil-v-vto-278365/.) a mine at the Zhilyanskoye deposit in Kazakhstan is signed]: Mineral.ru, Thenews.kz, 2016, KAZ Minerals v fevrale poluchila pervyi mednyi kontsentrat April 6. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://mineral.ru/News/72648.html.) s Bozshakolya [KAZ Minerals produced first copper concentrate from Mineral.ru, 2015h, Polymetal napravit na GRR v Kazakhstane 5 mln Bozshakol in February]: Thenews.kz [Astana, Kazakhstan], February 25. dollarov v 2015 godu [Polymetal will invest $5 million in exploration in (Accessed January 10, 2017, at https://thenews.kz/2016/02/25/1899640.html.) Kazakhstan in 2015]: Mineral.ru, August 30. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at Tolcin, A.C., 2017a, Cadmium: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity http://mineral.ru/News/77151.html.) Summaries 2017, p. 42–43. Mineral.ru, 2015i, Polymetal razvedaet kazakhstanskoye Dolinnoye Tolcin, A.C., 2017b, Zinc: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity mestorozhdeniye [Kazakhstan will explore the Dolinnoye deposit in Summaries 2017, p. 192–193. Kazakhstan]: Mineral.ru, August 26. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at TOO Vostochnoye Rudoupravleniye, 2017, Home page: TOO http://mineral.ru/News/77106.html.) Vostochnoye Rudoupravleniye. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at Mineral.ru, 2015j, Pravitel’stvo RK obladayet chetkim ponimaniyem situatsii po http://www.barit.kz/rus/index/.) kazhdomu predpriyatiyu s uchetom razlichnyh stsenariyev [The Government U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2016, Kazakhstan: U.S. Energy of Kazakhstan has a good understanding of the situation, with each company Information Administration Country Analysis Brief. (Accessed depending on different scenarios]: Mineral.ru, February 13. (Accessed January 10, 2017, at http://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis. January 10, 2017, at http://mineral.ru/News/69079.html.) cfm?iso=KAZ.) Mineral.ru, 2015k, V respublike Kazakhstan planiruyut v 2016 g. prinyat’ World Nuclear Association, 2015, Uranium production figures, 2004–2014: Kodeks “O nedrah” [A new “Law on subsoil” is planned to be adopted in World Nuclear Association. (Accessed November 29 19, 2017, at the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2016]: Mineral.ru, March 20. (Accessed http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/ January 10, 2017, at http://mineral.ru/News/72455.html.) mining-of-uranium/world-uranium-mining-production.aspx.) Mineral.ru, 2015l, V Vostochnom Kazakhstane postroyat zavod po polucheniyu Zakon.kz, 2016, Dobycha urana v Kazakhstane v 2015 godu vyrosla na 4,3% kobal’t-nikilevoy produktsii [A plant for cobalt and nickel production [Production of uranium in Kazakhstan increased by 4.3% in 2015]: Zakon.kz, will be built in Eastern Kazakhstan]: Mineral.ru, July 20. (Accessed January 18. Accessed January 10, 2017, at https://www.zakon.kz/ January 10, 2017, at http://mineral.ru/News/74856.html.) 4769318-dobycha-urana-v-kazakhstane-v-2015-godu.html.)

24.8 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS YEARBOOK—2015 taBLE 1 KAZAKHSTAN: PRODUCTION OF MINERAL COMMODITIES1

(Metric tons unless otherwise specified)

Commodity2 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 METALS Aluminum: Alumina 1,670,000 1,760,412 1,590,000 1,419,000 1,448,280 Bauxite, gross weight 5,495,200 5,170,200 5,192,000 4,515,600 4,682,600 Metal, primary 249,000 250,269 250,159 209,252 r 221,939 Antimony, Sb content of concentrate 800 865 -- 481 500 e Beryllium, metal na 2,526 1,913 1,776 1,687 Bismuth metal, refined 150 150 150 140 140 Cadmium, metale 1,300 e 1,200 e 1,319 1,633 1,475 Chromite ore 5,059,000 r 5,233,100 r 5,255,100 r 5,410,700 r 5,382,400 Chromium concentrates 3,670,000 3,945,600 4,192,700 4,475,700 4,198,400 Copper: Mine output, Cu content of concentrate 405,300 419,200 440,300 458,800 r 458,100 Metal: Smelter, undifferentiated 302,975 302,576 269,220 214,058 309,355 Refined, primary 338,524 373,259 352,061 294,808 r 394,641 Gallium kilograms 18,703 15,711 15,500 e 15,000 e 15,000 e Gold: Mine output, Au content do. 36,846 39,903 42,552 50,339 r 57,000 Metal, refined do. 16,672 21,133 23,220 26,884 r 31,044 Iron and steel: Iron ore, marketable: Gross weight 51,742,000 r 52,613,600 r 51,688,600 r 51,540,800 r 37,269,700 Fe content 13,180,000 r 14,073,500 r 14,729,400 r 14,946,200 r 11,566,200 Metal: Pig iron 3,141,100 2,707,000 2,634,451 3,184,780 r 3,233,671 Ferroalloys: Ferrochromium 1,289,917 1,305,343 1,336,632 r 1,351,803 r 1,414,476 Ferrosilicochromium 143,296 164,853 165,195 158,826 74,609 Ferrosilicon 1,683 494 472 395 r 86,984 Silicomanganese 232,039 251,530 203,986 200,379 r 164,189 Other 1,754 1,845 81 3,735 1,662 Total 1,668,689 1,724,065 1,706,366 r 1,715,138 1,741,920 Steel: Crude 3,699,300 3,775,836 3,477,000 4,000,777 r 3,894,127 Finished, rolled 3,107,900 2,402,300 2,277,000 2,532,186 r 2,509,010 Lead: Concentrate, Pb content 38,800 38,100 40,100 37,800 40,700 Refined, primary and secondary 111,249 88,099 91,072 127,064 r 120,108 Magnesium, metal, primarye 21,400 r 22,200 r 13,000 r 9,500 r 8,100 Manganese: Ore: Gross weight 2,963,000 2,975,000 2,850,500 2,608,800 1,625,700 Mn contente 590,000 595,000 570,000 522,000 325,000 Concentrate: Gross weight 1,096,300 1,070,500 1,121,000 1,092,300 615,900 Mn contente 390,000 390,000 404,000 390,000 222,000 Nickel, Ni content of laterite oree 500 450 ------Niobium, metal na 43 44 e 72 97 Selenium na na na 42 28 Silicon, metal 8,000 e 5,000 r, e 5,000 r, e 998 r 866 e Silver: Mine output, Ag content kilograms 650,649 963,182 963,829 989,247 r 1,308,926 Refined do. 646,685 958,495 958,258 983,697 r 1,306,575 Tantalum, metal na 213 215 e 155 141 Titanium: Ilmenite and leucoxenee 25,000 25,000 10,000 r 10,000 r 8,000 Sponge 20,700 21,000 e 12,000 e 8,700 r, e 7,300 e See footnotes at end of table.

Kazakhstan—2015 [ADVANCE RELEASE] 24.9 TABLE 1—Continued KAZAKHSTAN: PRODUCTION OF MINERAL COMMODITIES1

(Metric tons unless otherwise specified)

Commodity2 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 METALS—Continued Zinc: Concentrate, Zn content 376,700 369,700 361,500 345,200 r 342,500 Smelter, primary and secondary 319,847 319,900 320,150 324,946 r 323,848 INDUSTRIAL MINERALS Asbestos, all grades 223,100 241,200 243,400 213,100 179,800 Barite: Ore and concentrate 466,200 590,100 563,700 655,500 674,500 Marketablee 200,000 250,000 250,000 300,000 300,000 Borone thousand metric tons 300 300 348 507 500 Cement 7,642,100 7,050,000 7,071,500 8,139,700 r 8,729,000 Fluorspar 65,000 e 100,000 e 108,000 110,000 e 110,000 e Gypsum 700,000 e 1,029,400 997,000 1,097,300 r 979,600 Lime 959,827 908,188 869,167 923,300 870,654 Nitrogen, N content of ammonia 105,067 83,255 95,135 138,700 r 151,800 Phosphate rock, beneficiated: Gross weight 399,900 438,800 410,500 349,500 r 387,300 e r r P2O5 content 100,000 110,000 103,000 87,000 96,800 Rare-earth elements, rare-earth-oxide content ------240 68 salt 364,222 463,960 531,429 596,508 608,627 Sulfuric acid 1,519,900 1,719,200 2,081,200 2,400,743 r 2,844,712 Sulfur, byproduct: Metallurgye 300,000 300,000 300,000 320,000 320,000 Natural gas and petroleum 2,400,000 e 2,150,500 2,443,300 2,464,600 r 2,514,900 Totale 2,700,000 2,450,000 r 2,740,000 r 2,780,000 r 2,830,000 MINERAL FUELS AND RELATED MATERIALS Coal: Bituminous thousand metric tons 103,015 112,780 107,694 102,378 97,072 Lignite do. 8,368 7,748 6,690 6,894 5,526 Total do. 111,383 120,528 114,384 109,272 102,598 Coke 2,663,300 2,569,300 2,379,100 2,697,800 2,628,100 Natural gas: Nonassociated gas thousand cubic meters 19,305,000 20,308,800 20,564,900 21,278,500 21,493,700 Associated gas do. 20,199,000 19,820,100 21,679,100 21,898,300 23,761,800 Total do. 39,504,000 40,128,900 42,244,000 43,176,800 45,255,500 Petroleum: Crude oil and gas condensate3 42-gallon barrels 582,000,000 576,200,000 594,589,000 585,986,000 576,058,000 Refinery products4 do. 106,200,000 108,400,000 109,783,000 142,764,000 r 135,492,000 Uranium, mine output: U content 19,451 20,900 22,500 22,829 23,800

U3O8 content 22,939 24,648 26,300 26,915 27,846 eEstimated; estimated data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not add to totals shown. rRevised. do. Ditto. NA Not available. -- Zero. 1Table includes data available through August 4, 2016. 2In addition to the commodities listed, Kazakhstan may also have produced a number of other mineral products, including mined bismuth, cesium, cobalt, germanium, indium, molybdenum, rhenium, scandium, tellurium, and vanadium, but available information was inadequate to make reliable estimates of output. 3Figures were converted to barrels from metric tons, which were reported as follows: 2011—80,060,900; 2012—79,224,500; 2013—81,786,700; 2014—80,825,600; and 2015—79,456,300. 4Figures were converted to barrels from thousand metric tons, which were reported as follows: 2011—13,393; 2012—13,668; 2013—13,844; 2014—18,003; and 2015—17,086.

24.10 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS YEARBOOK—2015 taBLE 2 KAZAKHSTAN: STRUCTURE OF THE MINERAL INDUSTRY IN 20151, 2

(Metric tons unless otherwise specified)

Major operating companies, main facilities, Annual Commodity or deposits Location or deposit names capacitye Alumina Aluminium of Kazakhstan JSC [Eurasian Natural Pavlodar 1,600,000 Resources Corp. plc (ENRC)] Aluminum, primary Kazakhstan Aluminium Smelter JSC [Eurasian Natural do. 250,000 Resources Corp. plc (ENRC)] Barite TOO Vostochnoye Rudoupravleniye Chiganak, Zhambyl Province 300,000 Do. Zhartas LLC Zhambyl Province 25,000 Do. Stroyservice LLC Kentau District, South Kazakhstan 30,000 Province Do. Zhairemsky GOK3 JSC [Eurasian Natural Resources Ushkatyn III, Zhairem, and na Corp. plc (ENRC)] Zhumanai deposits near Zhairem Do. JSC Yuzhpolimetall Kentau District, South Kazakhstan na Province Do. Barite Oil Kentau LLC do. na Do. TOO Karazhal Operating Bestobe deposit, Karagandy Province 200,000 Bauxite Kazakhstan Aluminium Smelter JSC [Eurasian Natural Torgai and Krasnooktyabrsk mining 5,400,000 Resources Corp. plc (ENRC)] complexes, Kostanay Province Beryllium, metal Ulba Metallurgical Plant (AO NAK Kazatomprom) Oskemen (also known as na Ust-Kamenogorsk) Bismuth, metal Ust-Kamenogorsk metallurgical complex [TOO Kazzinc do. na (Glencore plc, 69.61%)] Do. Chimkent metallurgical plant (JSC Yuzhpolimetall) Shymkent na Cadmium do. do. na Do. Ust-Kamenogorsk metallurgical complex [TOO Kazzinc Oskemen (also known as na (Glencore plc, 69.61%)] Ust-Kamenogorsk) Chromite, marketable ore containing about TNK Kazchrome [a subsidiary of Eurasian Natural Khromtau, Aktobe Province 3,600,000 50% Cr2O3 content Resources Corp. plc (ENRC)] Do. Oriel Resources Ltd. (OAO Mechel) Voskhod GOK,3 Khromtau, 600,000 Aktobe Province Copper: Mining, recoverable, Cu content Kazakhmys plc: Central Region: Konyrat Mine Karagandy Province 11,800 4 Do. Sayak I and III Mines do. 23,500 Do. Shatyrkul Mine Zhambyl Province 12,700 Do. Abyz Mine Karagandy Province 5,710 Do. Nurkazgan Mine do. 20,000 Do. Akbastau Mine East Kazakhstan Province 9,000 Do. East Region: Artemyevsky Mine do. 25,000 Do. Belousovsky Mine do. 2,700 Do. Irtyshsky Mine do. 5,750 Do. Nikolayevsky Mine do. 25,700 Do. Orlovsky Mine do. 86,200 Do. Yubileyno-Snegirikhinsky Mine do. 14,200 Do. Jezkazgan Region: Annensky Mine Karagandy Province 25,000 Do. East Mine do. 35,000 Do. North Mine do. 28,000 Do. South Mine do. 30,000 Do. Stepnoy Mine do. 30,000 Do. West Mine do. 23,300 Do. Zhomart Mine do. 60,000 Do. TOO Kazzinc (Glencore plc, 69.61%): Ridder complex: Ridder-Sokolny Mine East Kazakhstan Province na Do. Shubinsky Mine do. 2,750 Do. Tishinsky Mine do. 15,000 See footnotes at end of table.

Kazakhstan—2015 [ADVANCE RELEASE] 24.11 TABLE 2—Continued KAZAKHSTAN: STRUCTURE OF THE MINERAL INDUSTRY IN 20151, 2

(Metric tons unless otherwise specified)

Major operating companies, main facilities, Annual Commodity or deposits Location or deposit names capacitye Copper—Continued: Mining, recoverable, Cu content— TOO Kazzinc (Glencore plc, 69.61%):—Continued Continued Zyrianovsk complex: Maleevsky Mine 15 kilometers north of Zyryanovsk 40,000 Do. Grekhovsky Mine na na Do. Aktyubinsk Copper Co. TOO (CJSC Russian 50th Anniversary of October Mine, na Copper Co.) at Koktau, Aktobe Province Do. KAZ Minerals Aktogay Mine, Eastern Kazakhstan na Do. Polymetal International plc Varvarinskoye deposit, Kostanay na Province Concentrate, Cu content Kazakhmys plc: Central Region: Balkhash concentrator Karagandy Province 40,000 Do. Karagaily concentrators: 28,000 Abyz do. Akbastau do. Kosmurun do. Do. Nurkazgan concentrator do. 15,000 Do. East Region: Orlovsky concentrator do. 70,000 Do. Belousovsky concentrator East Kazakhstan Province 13,000 Do. Irtyshsky concentrator do. 6,000 Do. Nikolayevsky concentrator do. 30,000 Do. Jezkazgan Region: Satpayev concentrator do. 30,000 Do. Jezkazgan No. 1 concentrator do. 88,800 Do. Jezkazgan No. 2 concentrator do. 95,000 Do. TOO Kazzinc (Glencore plc, 69.61%): Ridder complex: Ridder concentrator Karagandy Province 10,000 Do. Zyrianovsk complex, Zyrianovsk concentrator do. 10,000 Do. Aktyubinsk Copper Co. TOO (CJSC Russian 50th Anniversary of October Mine, 55,000 Copper Co.) at Koktau, Aktobe Province Do. Polymetal International plc Varvarinskoye deposit, Kostanay na Province Metal Kazakhmys plc mines or plants: Central Region: Balkhash smelter Karagandy Province 250,000 Do. Balkhash refinery do. 250,000 Do. Jezkazgan Region: Jezkazgan smelter do. 250,000 Do. Jezkazgan refinery do. 250,000 Do. Ust-Kamenogorsk metallurgical complex [TOO Kazzinc Oskemen (also known as 70,000 (Glencore plc, 69.61%)] Ust-Kamenogorsk) Do. Central Asia Metals plc Karagandy Province 10,000 Ferroalloys: Ferrochrome: High-, medium-, and low-carbon FeCr Aktobe plant {AO TNK Kazchrome [Eurasian Natural Aktobe 450,000 containing 69% Cr Resources Corp. plc (ENRC)]} High-carbon FeCr containing 69% Cr Aksu plant {AO TNK Kazchrome [Eurasian Natural Aksu 850,000 Resources Corp. plc (ENRC)]} FeCr AO TNK Kazchrome plant (TOO Eurasian Group [ERG]) Actobe na Ferrosilicon do. do. na Ferrosilicochromium do. do. na Silicomanganese do. do. na Do. Taraz Metallurgical Plant LLP (SAT & Co.) Taraz, Zhambyl Province na Do. Temirtau Electrometallurgical Complex Temirtau, Karagandy Province na See footnotes at end of table.

24.12 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS YEARBOOK—2015 TABLE 2—Continued KAZAKHSTAN: STRUCTURE OF THE MINERAL INDUSTRY IN 20151, 2

(Metric tons unless otherwise specified)

Major operating companies, main facilities, Annual Commodity or deposits Location or deposit names capacitye Gallium Aluminium of Kazakhstan JSC [Eurasian Natural Pavlodar na Resources Corp. plc (ENRC)] Gold, mined TOO Kazzinc (Glencore plc, 69.61%) Northern Kazakhstan na Do. Kazakhmys plc do. na Do. Polyus Gold International, Ltd. do. na Do. Polymetal International plc do. na Do. Nord Gold N.V. Suzdal Mine na Do. GMK Kazakhaltyn Northern Kazakhstan na Do. AO AK Altynalmas (Aquila Gold DV) Eastern Kazakhstan na Do. TOO Yubileynoye Aktobe Province na Gold, refined kilograms TOO Tau-Ken Altyn (Government) astana 50,000 Do. do. Ust-Kamenogorsk Refinery (Kazzinc) Oskemen 8,000 Do. do. TOO Kazakhmys Central Kazakhstan 10,000 Indium TOO Kazzinc (Glencore plc, 69.61%) na na Iron and steel: Pig iron ArcelorMittal Temirtau Temirtau, Karagandy Province 5,700,000 Steel, crude do. do. 6,000,000 Iron ore, marketable, gross weight JSC Sokolov-Sarbai Mining Production Association 4 open pit mines and 1 underground 20,000,000 [Eurasian Natural Resources Corp. plc (ENRC)] mine in Kostanay Province Do. TOO Orken (ArcelorMittal Temirtau) Karagandy Province 5,000,000 Lead: Mining, recoverable Pb content of ore TOO Kazzinc (Glencore plc, 69.61%): Ridder complex: Shubinsky Mine 15 kilometers east of Ridder 630 Do. Tishinsky Mine 15 kilometers southwest of Ridder 15,000 Do. Zyrianovsk complex, Maleevsky Mine 15 kilometers north of Zyryanovsk 26,000 Do. TOO ShalkiyaZinc Ltd. Shalkiya Mine, 15 kilometers na northeast of Zhanakorgan Concentrate, Pb content TOO Kazzinc (Glencore plc, 69.61%): Ridder concentrator Ridder, East Kazakhstan Province na Do. Zyrianovsk concentrator Zyryanovsk, East Kazkahstan Province na Do. TOO ShalkiyaZinc Ltd. Kentau concentrating plant, South na Kazakhstan Province Do. TOO Nova Zinc (JSC Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant) akzhal 4,000 Metal Chimkent metallurgical plant (JSC Yuzhpolimetall) Shymkent na Do. Ust-Kamenogorsk metallurgical complex [TOO Kazzinc Oskemen (also known as 130,000 (Glencore plc, 69.61%)] Ust-Kamenogorsk) Magnesium, metal Ust-Kamenogorsk titanium-magnesium plant do. na Manganese, crude ore Facilities: Locations: na 5 Kazmarganets {Kazchrome JSC [Eurasian Natural Tur and East Kamys Mines, Resources Corp. plc (ENRC)]} Karagandy Province Zhairemsky GOK3 JSC [Eurasian Natural Resources Perstenevsky, Ushkatyn III, Corp. plc (ENRC)] Zhomart and Zapadny Zhomart Mines near Zhairem Atasurda mining and processing complex (TOO Orken) Atasu TOO Arman 100 170 kilometers east of Jezkazgahan, Karagandy Province Temirtau electrometallurgical complex Temirtau, Karagandy Province Minor metals (indium, selenium, tellurium, Belogorskiy rare-metals plant Asubulak, East Kazakhstan Province na 6 thallium, and so forth) Do. Chimkent metallurgical plant (JSC Yuzhpolimetall) Shymkent na 6 Do. Ust-Kamenogorsk metallurgical complex [TOO Kazzinc Oskemen (also known as na (Glencore plc, 69.61%)] Ust-Kamenogorsk) See footnotes at end of table.

Kazakhstan—2015 [ADVANCE RELEASE] 24.13 TABLE 2—Continued KAZAKHSTAN: STRUCTURE OF THE MINERAL INDUSTRY IN 20151, 2

(Metric tons unless otherwise specified)

Major operating companies, main facilities, Annual Commodity or deposits Location or deposit names capacitye Natural gas million cubic meters Companies: Locations: na 5 Tengizchevroil (Chevron Corp., 50%; KazMunaiGas Tengiz and Korolev fields JSC, 20%; ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., 25%; LukArco B.V., 5%) Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. (BG Group Karachaganak field plc., 29.25%; ENI S.p.A., 29.25%; Chevron Corp., 18%; OAO Lukoil, 13.5%; KazMunaiGas JSC, 10%) Do. Additional production at smaller fields na na Niobium, metal Ulba Metallurgical Plant (AO NAK Kazatomprom) Oskemen (also known as na Ust-Kamenogorsk) Petroleum: Crude Tengizchevroil (Chevron Corp., 50%; KazMunaiGas Tengiz and Korolev fields na 5 JSC, 20%; ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., 25%; LukArco B.V., 5%) Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. (BG Group Karachaganak field plc., 29.25%; ENI S.p.A., 29.25%; Chevron Corp., 18%; OAO Lukoil, 13.5%; KazMunaiGas JSC, 10%) CNPC AktobeMunaiGas (China National Petroleum Aktobe Province Corp., 85.42%) PetroKazakhstan Inc. (China National Petroleum South Turgai basin Corp., 67%, and KazMunaiGas JSC, 33%) Mangistaumunaigaz JSC Mangistau Province Ozenmunaigas (KazMunaiGas JSC) do. Embamunaigas (KazMunaiGas JSC) Western Kazakhstan JV Kazgermunai LLP (KazMunaiGas JSC) Kyzylorda Province JSC Karazhanbasmunai (CITIC Group and Mangistau Province KazMunaiGas JSC) North Buzachi oilfield do. Additional producers na Refined, crude oil 42-gallon JSC Pavlodar Oil Chemistry Refinery (KazMunaiGas Pavlodar 120,000 throughput barrels per day JSC, 58%) Do. do. Atyrau Refinery (KazMunaiGas, 99.49%) Atyrau 100,000 Do. do. PetroKazakhstan Inc. (China National Petroleum Shymkent 110,000 Corp., 67%, and KazMunaiGas JSC, 33%) Phosphate rock, beneficiated Chulaktau mining and processing complex Chulaktau, Zhambyl Province na (Kazphosphate LLC) Do. Karatau mining and processing complex Zhanatas, Zhambyl Province na (Kazphosphate LLC) Do. Temir Service LLP (Sunkar Resources plc) Chilisai deposit, northwestern 400 Kazakhstan Rare-earth metals, products Summit Atom Rare Earth Co. (SARECO) (AO NAK Stepnogorsk 1,500 Kazatomprom, 51%, and Sumitomo Corp., 49%) Rhenium: Ammonium perrhenate (containing Zhezkazganredmet (RedMet) (Government owned) Zhezkazgan, Karagandy Province na 69.2% Re) In tailings from copper ore Balkhash copper mining-metallurgical complex Karagandy Province na processing (Kazakhmys plc) Silicon, metal Silicium Kazakhstan LLP do. 12,500 Silver, refined Facilities: Locations: 1,000 5 Chimkent metallurgical plant (JSC Yuzhpolimetall) Shymkent Ust-Kamenogorsk metallurgical complex [TOO Kazzinc Oskemen (also known as (Glencore plc, 50.7%)] Ust-Kamenogorsk) Balkhash refinery (Kazakhmys plc) Karagandy Province Tantalum, metal Ulba Metallurgical Plant (AO NAK Kazatomprom) Oskemen (also known as na Ust-Kamenogorsk) See footnotes at end of table.

24.14 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS YEARBOOK—2015 TABLE 2—Continued KAZAKHSTAN: STRUCTURE OF THE MINERAL INDUSTRY IN 20151, 2

(Metric tons unless otherwise specified)

Major operating companies, main facilities, Annual Commodity or deposits Location or deposit names capacitye Titanium: Ore Tioline LLP Obuhovskoye deposit, just north of na Kokshetau, Akmola Province Do. Satpaevsk Titanium Mines Ltd. (Ust-Kamenogorsk Bektemir deposit, East Kazakhstan na titanium-magnesium plant, 49%) Province Do. Shokash deposit Aktobe Province na Metal (sponge) AO Ust-Kamenogorsk titanium-magnesium plant Oskemen (also known as 35,000 (UKTMK) Ust-Kamenogorsk) Uranium, U content Companies: Locations: 24,000 5 Akbastau JV (AO NAK Kazatomprom, 50%, and Blocks 1, 3, and 4 of the Uranium One Inc., 50%) Budenovskoye deposit, Sozak Region, South Kazakhstan Province Appak LLP (AO NAK Kazatomprom, 65%; Sumitomo West Mynkuduk Mine of the Corp., 25%; Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc., 10%) Mynkuduk deposit, Sozak Region, South Kazakhstan Province Baiken-U LLP (AO NAK Kazatomprom, 60%, and Japane Block No. 2 of the Kharassan consortium, 40%) deposit, Zhanakorgan Region, Kyzylorda Province Betpak Dala JV (Uranium One Inc., 70%, and Akdala Mine and Site No. 4 (South AO NAK Kazatomprom, 30%) Inkai) Mine of the Inkai deposit, Sozak Region, South Kazakhstan Province Inkai JV (Cameco Corp., 60%, and Blocks 1, 2, and 3 of the Inkai AO NAK Kazatomprom, 40%) deposit, Sozak Region, South Kazakhstan Province Karatau LLP (AO NAK Kazatomprom, 50%, and Block No. 2 of the Budenovskoye Uranium One Inc., 50%) deposit, Sozak Region, South Kazakhstan Province Katco JV (Areva Group, 51%, and Tortkuduk Mine and Block No. 1 AO NAK Kazatomprom, 49%) of the South Moinkum deposit, Sozak Region, South Kazakhstan Province JSC Ken Dala.kz (AO NAK Kazatomprom, 100%) Central Mynkuduk deposit, Sozak Region, South Kazakhstan Province Kyzylkum LLP (Japanese consortium, 40%; Uranium Block No. 1 of the Kharassan One Inc., 30%; AO NAK Kazatomprom, 30%) deposit, Zhanakorgan Region, Kyzylorda Province Mining Company LLP (AO NAK Kazatomprom, 100%): North and South Karamurun Mines, Mining Group No. 6 LLP Shieli and Zhanakorgan Regions, Kyzylorda Province Stepnoye Mining Group LLP Uvanas and East Mynkuduk Mines, Sozak Region, South Kazakhstan Province Taukent Mining Chemical Plant LLP Kanzhugan and South Moinkum Mines, Sozak Region, South Kazakhstan Province Semizbai-U (AO NAK Kazatomprom and its subsidiary, Irkol Mine in Kyzlorda Province and Mining Company LLP, 51%, and China Guangdong Semizbai Mine, on the border of Nuclear Power Group, 49%) North Kazakhstan and Akmola Province Stepnogorsk Mining-Chemical Complex LLP Shantobe Mine of the Vostok and (AO NAK Kazatomprom, 100%) Zvezdnoe deposits, 300 kilometers west of Stepnogorsk JV Zarechnoye JSC (AO NAK Kazatomprom, 49.67%, Zarechnoye and South Zarechnoye and JSC Atomredmetzoloto, 49.67%) deposits, Olrarski Region, South Kazakhstan Province See footnotes at end of table.

Kazakhstan—2015 [ADVANCE RELEASE] 24.15 TABLE 2—Continued KAZAKHSTAN: STRUCTURE OF THE MINERAL INDUSTRY IN 20151, 2

(Metric tons unless otherwise specified)

Major operating companies, main facilities, Annual Commodity or deposits Location or deposit names capacitye Zinc: Mine output, Zn content Kazakhmys plc: East Region complex: Artemyevsky Mine East Kazakhstan Province 90,000 Do. Belousovsky Mine do. na Do. Irtyshsky Mine do. 18,000 Do. Nikolaevsky Mine do. 20,000 Do. Orlovsky Mine do. 78,200 Do. Yubileyno-Snegirikhinsky Mine do. 16,500 Do. Central Region complex: Abyz Mine Karagandy Province 13,500 Do. TOO Kazzinc (Glencore plc, 69.61%): Ridder complex: Ridder-Sokolny Mine East Kazakhstan Province na Do. Shubinsky Mine do. 4,000 Do. Tishinsky Mine do. 65,000 Do. Shaimerden deposit Kostanay Province na Do. Zyrianovsk complex: Maleevsky Mine do. 135,000 Do. TOO Nova Zinc (JSC Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant) Akshatau, Karagandy Province na Do. TOO ShalkiyaZinc Ltd. Kyzylorda Province na Concentrate, Zn content Kazakhmys plc: East Region complex: Artemyevsky concentrator do. 55,000 Do. Belousovsky concentrator do. 5,800 Do. Irtyshsky concentrator do. 11,000 Do. Nikolaevsky concentrator do. 36,000 Do. Orlovsky concentrator do. 60,000 Do. Karaganda Region complex: Karagaily concentrator Karagandy Province 8,000 Do. TOO Nova Zinc (JSC Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant) Akshatau, Karagandy Province 35,000 Do. TOO ShalkiyaZinc Ltd. Kyzylorda Province na Do. Kazzinc JSC (Glencore plc, 69.61%): Ridder concentrator do. na Do. Zyrianovsk concentrator Zyryanovsk, East Kazkahstan na Province Metal TOO Kazzinc (Glencore plc, 69.61%): Ridder zinc refinery East Kazakhstan Province 110,000 Do. Ust-Kamenogorsk metallurgical complex do. 190,000 eEstimated; estimated data are rounded to no more than three significant digits. Do., do., Ditto. NA Not available. 1Table includes data available through December 21, 2016. 2Many location names have changed since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Many enterprises, however, are still named or commonly referred to based on the former location name, which accounts for discrepancies in the names of enterprises and that of locations. 3GOK is the abbreviation for gorno-obogatitelnyi kombinat, which translates as "mining and beneficiation complex." 4Production at the Konyrat (formerly known as the Kounrad Mine) was stopped in 2005 owing to high production costs; since then, several attempts had been made to restart production. 5Capacity estimates are totals for all enterprises that produce that commodity. 6It is unknown which, if any, rare metals are still being produced at this facility.

24.16 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS YEARBOOK—2015