KAZ Minerals, China's NFC explore joint mineral surveys in Kazakhstan

Photo: KAZ Minerals

BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 20. KAZ Minerals and China Nonferrous Metal Industry's Foreign Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. (NFC), a subsidiary of China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group (CNMC), have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in geological exploration, according to KAZ Minerals.

"The Memorandum provides for exploring opportunities to apply advanced technologies to the exploration and evaluation of Kazakhstan’s mineral resources," the company said.

The memorandum expands the scope of cooperation between the companies and reflects KAZ Minerals’ efforts to advance mineral exploration in Kazakhstan. The parties plan to establish a joint working group to coordinate further activities and develop a roadmap for cooperation.

KAZ Minerals is a copper-focused mining company operating large-scale, low-cost open-pit and underground mines in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Its key assets include the Aktogay copper mine in Kazakhstan’s Abay region, which has sulfide processing plants producing copper concentrate and an oxide plant producing cathode copper; the Bozshakol open-pit copper mine in Pavlodar region; the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan, which transitioned to underground mining in 2024; and the East Region operations in Kazakhstan, comprising three underground mines and two processing plants producing copper, zinc, silver and gold.