9 june
The budget has financed projects for the exploration of rare metals at two sites in Eastern Kazakhstan. About 457 million tenge has been allocated for the search for lithium deposits, a valuable component for the production of batteries for electric vehicles. The result of the work will be known in December.
According to Yerlan Galiyev, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Geology of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in Kazakhstan, the state balance lists lithium reserves for seven explored deposits (Yubileinoye, Verkhne-Baymurzinskoye, Bakenoye, Akhmetkino, Akhmirovskoye, Medvedka, Maralushenskoye reservoir). All of them are located in different districts of the East Kazakhstan region. If searches in two more sites (Kara-Ayak and Muncha), also started in the East Kazakhstan region, are crowned with success, then next year the list will include nine explored territories. “285.3 million tenge was allocated for the implementation of prospecting work at the Kara-Ayak site, and 171.6 million tenge at the Muncha site. A preliminary geological and economic assessment and justification of further exploration work will be carried out by SK Semey,, Yerlan Galiev said in response to a request Kursiv.media.
Experts of the Committee of Geology identify three main types of deposits that may contain lithium. These include areas with solid fossils (igneous rocks), clays and highly saline lakes (they are called brines). At present, in Kazakhstan, the content of lithium has been studied only in the composition of solid minerals. But in 2023, the Committee of Geology plans to conduct a case study and find out if there are industrial prospects for the “lithium content” of salt domes and lower reaches of drainless rivers in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Are there any enterprises in Kazakhstan capable of processing ore containing lithium? In response to this question, Yerlan Galiev said that the roadmap for expanding the resource base and organizing the production of rare and rare earth metals for 2021-2025 provides for specific measures for the technology of mining and processing of lithium on the basis of existing Kazakhstani production facilities.
Note that over the past 10 years, this rare metal has risen in price by 18 times. Experts predict that growth will continue in 2022, and this will affect the shares of companies that have invested in its mining or the production of lithium-ion batteries.
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