Rare Earth Element and Rare Metal Inventory of Central Asia
Asia, which included the development of a Asian Orogenic Belt, which includes the Rare earth elements (REE), with mineral occurrence inventory, and the study Kazakh Steppe, Kazakh Uplands, and the their unique physical and chemical of related capacity and capacity-building Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan, Kyr- properties, are an essential part of needs of the region. gyzstan, and easternmost Uzbekistan; and modern living. REE have enabled (2) the late Paleozoic to Mesozoic Tethys development and manufacture Tectonic Setting Orogenic Belt, the central and northern part of high-performance materials, of which includes the Pamir Mountains in processes, and electronic tech- The REE-RM-bearing mineral occur- Tajikistan. nologies commonly used today in rences of central Asia are products of computing and communications, numerous magmatic, metamorphic, and REE-RM Resources clean energy and transportation, sedimentary metallogenic (mineral-deposit medical treatment and health care, forming) processes that took place dur- In a global context, domestic REE glass and ceramics, aerospace ing successive cycles of accretionary and reserves are modest, accounting for about and defense, and metallurgy and extensional orogenesis (mountain building), 10 percent of the world total (Gambogi, chemical refining. Central Asia is and post-orogenic weathering, erosion, and 2014). Currently the United States does an emerging REE and rare metals deposition. Flanked by cratons and tectonic not produce REE, but is a net importer, (RM) producing region. A newly blocks of Precambrian age, the region con- obtaining its REE raw materials from compiled inventory of REE-RM- sists of younger orogenic belts representing foreign sources, primarily from China. bearing mineral occurrences and numerous continental and oceanic crustal Over the past two decades, the importance delineation of areas-of-interest fragments that were welded together during of REE has increased markedly owing to indicate this region may have con- a complex and episodic history of subduc- (1) high demand for modern technologies siderable undiscovered resources. tion, accretion, arc- and continent-continent and advanced materials, of which REE are collisions, and ocean basin closures in integral components; (2) uncertain sup- Paleozoic and Mesozoic time (see Windley ply, given China’s dominance of over 95 and others, 2007). Two of the largest of percent of global REE production; and ! The Silk Road and REE-RM these belts are (1) the Paleozoic Central (3) the unique electronic, optical, and ! ! Central Asia, situated along the 45°E 60°E 75°E 90°E Novosibirsk ! historic “Silk Road” trade route, has long s in RUSSIA ta been a network for the movement and trans- ! n ! Study area u Samara o M portation of people, energy, and mineral l a a r a U k
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resources between Europe and Asia. Once
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l p ta pe y M part of the former Soviet Union, this region ou Astana ! nt ! ^` ain historically produced rare earth elements! KAZAKHSTAN s
ls (REE), and is still an important source of il r a base and precious metals, as well as rare kh Uplands d a a o g metals (RM). u Tengi M ! Today, central Asia is re-emerging as asin Zhezkazgan in a REE-producing region. In the countries Lake Balkash - as an ar ARAL ari s ungg g tn ! of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, SEA un M D au lat there has been renewed interest in REE ! A ^` CASPIAN aratau Almaty (and related RM), particularly following SEA Mountains Bishkek ! the REE price run-ups in 2007 and 2009, ^` ^` UZBEKISTAN Tien Shan Mountains and a dramatic price spike in 2011. These 40°N Tashkent^` KYRGYZSTAN countries have since implemented mining in as arim sector reforms to create a more attractive ! ! T TURKMENISTAN Samarkand Kashi investment environment for domestic and TAJIKISTAN ^` Ashkhabat Dushanbe^` CHINA foreign mineral exploration and economic r Mountain ins mi s unta a Mo P development. ^` Al or ar un ak lun Mou tains Tehran AFGHANISTAN ora n ins m High-quality and readily accessible unta Ra Mo ng information about the geology and min- IRAN indu ush PAKISTAN e ! eral resources of the region is essential for Base from: U.S. Geological Survey, HYDRO1k Geographic Database (1998).^`! 0 200 400 KILOMETERS Political! boundary source: U.S. Department of State (2009). facilitating reforms, reducing economic ^`! World Water! Bodies, ESRI (2010). 0 100 200 MILES risk, and stimulating private-sector interest. Projection: Custom Equidistant Conic; central meridian 69° E; latitude of origin 0.0°; In 2012–13, the U.S. Geological Survey ! datum D. Krasovsky 1940. (USGS) conducted an evaluation of the Map of central Asia, showing countries, capitals (red stars), larger cities (black dots), and major REE-RM mineral resources of central Figure is ! 3.75" x 5" geographic features. U.S. Department of the Interior Fact Sheet 2017–3089 U.S. Geological Survey March 2018 45°E 60°E 75°E E P A ATI !( REE-RM- earing mineral occurrences y deposit-type Novosibirsk deposits la led !( Chelyabinsk !(Omsk Igneous-related (! Carbonatite !( RUSSIA (! Peralkaline-related Samara *# RUSSIA (! Alkaline-related !( *# (! *# 1 *#!( *# Pegmatite XY !( (! Granitoid-related *# !(!( !( *# !( !( !( !(!(!( A ER E (! Volcanic/epithermal of uncertain affinity *# *#*#*# *# YX !( *#*#*# *# !( !( !( (! Intrusive/mesothermal of uncertain affinity U D AI *# *# *# *#*# *# (! Exhalative 50°N *# *##*# ") *# *#* *# *# Metamorphic metasomatic-related *#*# 2 *# XY *# *#*#*# *# *# XY Skarn *#*#*# !( XY Greisen PRI ER E *# !( *# *# *# Astana !( ") Sedimentary-related *# !( *# !( UST-Kamenogorsk !( !( )" Sedimentary uranium !( !( !( !( !( ") !( )" Sedimentary phosphate !( *# U I EI E !( *# )" Sedimentary vanadium and(or) molybdenite ") A U A )" Coal *# *# !( *#*# *# *# !( !( Surficial weathering erosion-related ") *# !( *# *# S U AR !( !(!( eathering crust XY!( 3 !( Lake Zaysan *# Placer or paleoplacer KAZAKHSTAN !( ER E ESPE Uncertain !( XY XY (! eposit type unknown or unspecified Astrakhan !( !( hezkazgan !( *# !( REE-RM mineral resource potential *# !( !( !( Areas of intrest a akhstan yrgy stan A E SE Ta ikistan and U ekistan only !( Lake Alakol !( Lake Balkash Alkaline igneous rock and car onatite XY occurrences ") LAKE XY REE-RM elts ") BALKASH T MA ") ") 1 Uraltides A TAU ")") ARAL !( AMS I ME E ") ") SEA 2 Kazakh Steppe TASMURU !(")") TA AGAR ")") ") 3 Kazakh Uplands SAD R !( ") ") !( North Tien Shan UTESSA II Almaty South Tien Shan ") !( A TAS ")")")") A SAI-III A T U UZBEKISTAN !( XY!( !(!( !( Pamir CASPIAN A A D ARAD I GA !( !(!(!(!( SEA ") Bishkek !( !(!(!(!( Lake Issyk Kol Base from: U.S. Geological Survey, HYDRO1k Geographic Database (1998). !(!( !( !( !( Political boundary source: U.S. Department of State (2009). *#!( SIE IT E !( !(!( !(!( ")")")")XYXY XY !( !(!( World Water Bodies, ESRI (2010). !( A TAU RE FIE D XY!(!(!( XY !( !( ") XY!( KYRGYZSTAN XY !(!(XY SAR SA Projection: Custom Equidistant Conic; 40°N Baku ") !( !(!( central meridian 69° E; latitude of origin 0.0°; !( !( !( *##*# ") Tashkent XY!( !( datum D. Krasovsky 1940. * *# ") AU E !( !(!(!( C TAS !( !( ") !(!(*#!(!( !( !( !( ")")") !( ") *# ") !(") !( D I ISUI ")")")") XY !( XYXY !( XY*# *# !( !(!( ")*# *# *# !( CHINA !( ") XY Samarkand *# *#*#*#*# XY!( ")XY ") !( !( *# *#*#!( !(!(!(*#!( XY !( ")") *#!( !(!( !(!(!(!(*# !( Kashi ")!(XY XY!( !(XY!(*# !(!(!(!( !( *# TURKMENISTAN !( !(!( !(#!( !( !( !( !( *# *XY !( TAJIKISTAN PEGMATITE FIE D 1 !( !( !( !( !( *#!(!(!( !( Ashgabat !( !( !( !(!( *## Dushanbe *#*# *# * !( *#!( *# XY !( !( !(!( *# !( *# !( !( !( !( Tehran AFGHANISTAN 0 100 200 300 400 KILOMETERS IRAN !( Mashhad !( PAKISTAN 0 100 200 MILES magnetic properties of REE, which cannot known REE-RM-bearing mineral occur- others, 2017). The most important attributes be matched in performance by other metals rences and is thought to have considerable recorded in the inventory include occur- or synthetic materials (Long, 2011). These undiscovered resources. The USGS has rence location, geologic setting, deposit factors have raised international concern compiled an inventory of 384 occurrences type, size, associated commodities, grade, Figure 3. that new sources of REE outside of China in Kazakhstan (160 sites), Kyrgyzstan (75 mineralogy, and age of mineralization. 11 x 17 must be identified, explored, and assessed sites), Tajikistan (60 sites), Uzbekistan (87 The occurrences are associated with for economic viability. sites), and Turkmenistan (2 sites), which at least 16 different deposit types, among Central Asia is of significant interest range from mineral showings to previ- which 5 broad deposit-type classes are for mineral exploration because it hosts ously developed deposits (Mihalasky and recognized: (1) igneous rock-related, (2) 45°E 60°E 75°E E P A ATI !( REE-RM- earing mineral occurrences y deposit-type Novosibirsk deposits la led !( Chelyabinsk !(Omsk Igneous-related (! Carbonatite !( RUSSIA (! Peralkaline-related Samara *# RUSSIA (! Alkaline-related !( *# (! *# 1 *#!( *# Pegmatite XY !( (! Granitoid-related *# !(!( !( *# !( !( !( !(!(!( A ER E (! Volcanic/epithermal of uncertain affinity *# *#*#*# *# YX !( *#*#*# *# !( !( !( (! Intrusive/mesothermal of uncertain affinity U D AI *# *# *# *#*# *# (! Exhalative 50°N *# *##*# ") *# *#* *# *# Metamorphic metasomatic-related *#*# 2 *# XY *# *#*#*# *# *# XY Skarn *#*#*# !( XY Greisen PRI ER E *# !( *# *# *# Astana !( ") Sedimentary-related *# !( *# !( UST-Kamenogorsk !( !( )" Sedimentary uranium !( !( !( !( !( ") !( )" Sedimentary phosphate !( *# U I EI E !( *# )" Sedimentary vanadium and(or) molybdenite ") A U A )" Coal *# *# !( *#*# *# *# !( !( Surficial weathering erosion-related ") *# !( *# *# S U AR !( !(!( eathering crust XY!( 3 !( Lake Zaysan *# Placer or paleoplacer KAZAKHSTAN !( ER E ESPE Uncertain !( XY XY (! eposit type unknown or unspecified Astrakhan !( !( hezkazgan !( *# !( REE-RM mineral resource potential *# !( !( !( Areas of intrest a akhstan yrgy stan A E SE Ta ikistan and U ekistan only !( Lake Alakol !( Lake Balkash Alkaline igneous rock and car onatite XY occurrences ") LAKE XY REE-RM elts ") BALKASH T MA ") ") 1 Uraltides A TAU ")") ARAL !( AMS I ME E ") ") SEA 2 Kazakh Steppe TASMURU !(")") TA AGAR ")") ") 3 Kazakh Uplands SAD R !( ") ") !( North Tien Shan UTESSA II Almaty South Tien Shan ") !( A TAS ")")")") A SAI-III A T U UZBEKISTAN !( XY!( !(!( !( Pamir CASPIAN A A D ARAD I GA !( !(!(!(!( SEA ") Bishkek !( !(!(!(!( Lake Issyk Kol Base from: U.S. Geological Survey, HYDRO1k Geographic Database (1998). !(!( !( !( !( Political boundary source: U.S. Department of State (2009). *#!( SIE IT E !( !(!( !(!( ")")")")XYXY XY!( XY !( !(!( !( World Water Bodies, ESRI (2010). !( A TAU RE FIE D XYXY!(!( !( Projection: Custom Equidistant Conic; ") !( KYRGYZSTAN XY !(!(XY!( SAR SA 40°N Baku ") !( !( central meridian 69° E; latitude of origin 0.0°; ") XY !( !( !( datum D. Krasovsky 1940. *#*#*#*# Tashkent !( C TAS !( ") AU E !( !(!(!(!(!( !( !( ")") *#!(!( !(") Map of central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan) *# !( ")") !( ") ") !( D I ISUI showing rare earth element- and rare metal- (REE-RM) bearing mineral occurrences ")")") XY !( XYXY !( !( XY*# *# !(!( and areas-of-interest (AOI) for mineral resource potential. The 384 known REE-RM- ")*# *# *# !( CHINA !( ") XY Samarkand *# *#*#*#*# XY!( ")XY ") !( !( *# *#*#!( !(!(!(*#!( XY !( bearing occurrences include 16 deposit types, which are generalized into 5 broad ")") *#!( !(!( !(!(!(!(*# !( Kashi ")!(XY XY!( !(XY!(*# !(!(!(!( !( classes. The AOI represent (1) regions where alkaline igneous rocks and carbonatites *# TURKMENISTAN !( !(!( !(#!( !( !( !( !( *# *XY !( TAJIKISTAN are present (from Kogarko and others, 1995; these rock types are known to be closely PEGMATITE FIE D 1 !( !( !( !( !( *#!(!(!( associated with commercially important REE-RM-bearing deposits worldwide); and !( Ashgabat !( !( !( !(!( *## Dushanbe *#*# *# * !( *#!( (2) prospective areas, promising occurrences, and known occurrences identified in *# XY !( !( !(!( *# !( *# State agency exploration reports and presentations provided by geoscientists from !( !( Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan at an REE-RM resources workshop, !( !( Tehran hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey, and held at the Kyrgyz National Academy of AFGHANISTAN 0 100 200 300 400 KILOMETERS IRAN !( Mashhad !( Sciences, Institute of Geology, on September 16–17, 2013, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The PAKISTAN 0 100 200 MILES AOI represent mineral potential for all types of REE-RM-bearing occurrences.
metamorphic/metasomatic-related, (3) higher REE grades. The most commonly Ma (late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic), sedimentary-related, (4) surficial weather- reported REE-RM-bearing minerals and ~144–38 Ma (late Mesozoic to early ing/erosion-related, and (5) uncertain. The are monazite, zircon, apatite, xenotime, Tertiary). most common host rocks recorded in the pyrochlore, allanite, and columbite. Ages Figure 3. inventory are alkaline igneous rocks, their of mineralization range from Cambrian REE-RM Resource11 x Potential17 weathered derivatives, and metamorphic through the Quaternary, with most occur- and metasomatic rocks. Occurrences associ- rences falling within three broad intervals In addition to developing an inventory ated with carbonatite and alkaline igneous of geologic time: ~570–408 Ma (late of known occurrences, another princi- rock-related deposit types generally display Proterozoic to early Paleozoic), ~360–248 pal objective of the USGS evaluation of REE-RM mineral resources in central Asia was to identify areas-of-interest (AOI) with Rare Earth Elements of the Periodic Ta le e potential for hosting undiscovered deposits ight REE Rare metals sometimes locally included among (see center map caption for the definition of i e eavy REE the REE C F e an AOI). Six REE-RM metallogenic belts containing AOI and REE-RM-bearing min- a Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar eral occurrences have been delineated: (1) Ca Sc Ti Cr Mn Fe Co i Cu n Ga Ge As Se r r the Uraltides Belt, characterized primarily R Sr r Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn S Te I e by weathered-crust occurrences, exempli- fied by the large Kundybai deposit; (2) the Cs a anthanoids f Ta Re s Ir Pt Au g Tl P i Po At Rn Kazakh Steppe Belt, defined by mainly Fr Ra Actinoids Rf D Sg h s Mt Ds Rg Cn Uut Fl Uup v Uus Uuo peralkaline, carbonatite, and granitoid and other intrusive- and extrusive-related prospects and showings, as well as their anthanoids associated metamorphic/metasomatic a Ce Pr d Pm Sm Eu Gd T Dy o Er Tm u and surficial weathering occurrences; (3) the Kazakh Uplands Belt, dominated by Actinoids peralkaline, granitoid, and other igneous Ac Th Pa U p Pu Am Cm k Cf Es Fm Md o r rock-related and associated metamorphic/ metasomatic occurrences, including the peralkaline igneous rock-related Verkhne Periodic table of chemical elements, highlighting the rare earth elements (REE) and related rare Espe deposit; (4) the North Tien Shan Belt, metals, which are sometimes included among REE in central Asia. characterized by a wide variety of deposit- types, and which has the largest poten- Long, K.R., 2011, The future of rare earth Acknowledgments tial for commercial production from the elements—Will these high-tech indus- Aktyuz cluster of deposits (this includes the USGS Central Asia REE-RM Team: try elements continue in short supply?: peralkaline igneous rock-hosted Kutessay Mark J. Mihalasky, Robert D. Tucker, II deposit, a past-producer and supplier of U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Karine Renaud, and Ingrid M. Verstraeten. heavy REE and RM to the former Soviet Report 2011–1189, 41 p., available at This study was funded with Economic Sup- Union); (5) the South Tien Shan Belt, http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1189/. port Funds (ESF) from the U.S. Department host to the greatest number and variety of of State project: DOS-1010104105: Rare occurrences and deposit-types, including Mihalasky, M.J., Orris, G.J., Briggs, Earth Element (REE) Resources of the Tien peralkaline, granitoid, and other igneous D.A., Tucker, R.D., Renaud, Karine, Shan Region, Central Asia. rock-related prospects and showings in the and Verstraeten, I.M., 2017, Rare earth Contributors and cooperators: east and east-central region of the belt, as element mineral occurrence database Kazakhstan—Ministry of Industry and well as pegmatite and sandstone-hosted ura- of the Tien Shan region, Central Asia: New Technologies, Kazgeology, Kazge- nium in the west and west-central region; U.S. Geological Survey data release, ology, Satpaev, Nazarbayev University; and (6) the Pamir Belt, defined mainly by available at https://doi.org/10.5066/ Kyrgyzstan—State Agency for Geology pegmatite, peralkaline igneous rock-related, F7TM7913. and Mineral Resources, National Acad- and weathered-crust prospects and show- emy of Sciences, Stans Energy KG LLC; ings, including the Sungat granitoid-related Windley, B.F., Alexeiev, D., Xiao, W., Tajikistan—Head Department for Geology, prospect in the west, and the Agadjan and Kroner, A., and Badarch, G., 2007, National Academy of Sciences; England— Agandzhan pegmatite prospects associated Tectonic models for accretion of the Centre for Russian and Central EurAsian with Dunkeldyk and Pamir Pipes carbon- Central Asia orogenic belt: London, Mineral Studies. Text prepared by Mark J. Mihalasky. atite complexes in the east. Journal of the Geological Society, v. Illustrations by John C. Wallis. Technical 164, p. 31–47. References Cited assistance for REE-RM data compilation from Deborah Ann Briggs. Gambogi, Joseph, 2014, Rare earths, in Additional Information Mineral commodity summaries 2014: Contact Dr. Mark J. Mihalasky The Kutessai II rare earth element-rare U.S. Geological Survey, p. 128–129. ([email protected]) and Dr. Ingrid M. Vers- mineral (REE-RM) mineral deposit, northeast traeten ([email protected]) for additional Kogarko, L.N., Kononova, V.A., Orlova, information about this study and USGS of Bishkek, in Kyrgyzstan, on May 29, 2013. The M.P., and Woolley, A.R., 1995, Alka- activities in central Asia. currently inactive mine is a Soviet-era open- line rocks of the world, part 2—Former pit operation, approximately 1 kilometer wide Soviet Union: London, Chapman & and 300 meters deep. Hall, 226 p.
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ISSN 2327-6916 (print) ISSN 2327-6932 (online) https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20173089