Mineral Wealth |
Kazakhstan today is one of the few states on the planet to be provided with substantial deposits of minerals and raw materials. Ninety-nine elements have been recognized in the subsoil of Kazakhstan. The raw materials base of the Republic is emphasized by the large number of gas and oilfields and by the large variety of mineral resources. Presently, 493 fields are known, which contain 1,225 kinds of minerals. - In terms of the reserves of uranium, chromium, lead, and zinc the Republic is ranked second in the world; - in terms of manganese - third; - copper fifth; - in terms of it's reserves of coal, iron, and gold Kazakhstan is one of the leading ten countries of the world; - in terms of the reserves of gas, oils, and aluminum the country ranks, correspondingly, twelfth, thirteenth, and seventeenth. In terms of material wealth Kazakhstan ranks first among the CIS countries in reserves of chromic ores and lead, equal to 97% and 38% of all CIS reserves, second in oil, silver, copper, manganese, zinc, nickel, and raw phosphor, and third in gas, coal, gold, and tin. The gross value of explored (categories A+B+C1) and provisionally estimated (category C2) material wealth of Kazakhstan in subsoil amounts to over 2 trillion USD. Their recoverable value is 1.1 trillion USD. The produce of the mineral and natural resources complex of the Republic accounts for 57.6% of Kazakhstan's total of industrial produce, including 20.2% in respect of the oil-and-gas complex, 8.6% for ferrous metallurgy and 11.6% for non-ferrous metallurgy. |
