Kazakhstan to quadruple geological exploration budget
ASTANA. May 13 (Interfax) - The Kazakh government has approved a five-year geological survey program for 2015-2019, Deputy Minister of Industry and New Technologies Nurlan Sauranbayev said.
Up to 161 billion tenge would be allocated for the program implementation, Sauranbayev told a Tuesday briefing at the State Office of Press Relations in Astana (182.04 tenge/$1 on May 13).
Under the previous five-year geological survey program about 40 billion tenge was spent, Sauranbayev said.
This program is to focus on prospecting for precious and rare earth metals, copper and other minerals, Sauranbayev said. Major subsoil users, including Kazakhmys and Kazzinc, have additionally invested in the program and signed relevant agreements, according to him.
The construction of a geological center will start on the premises of the Nazarbayev University later this year, which would feature the geologists town accommodating everything required for the geological cluster, "from the archives base to the necessary laboratories," the deputy minister said.