Polyus gets licenses for two geological exploration sites in Kazakhstan's Karaganda Region

MOSCOW. May 13 (Interfax) - Polyus in March obtained two licenses for solid minerals exploration in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan, according to materials from the country's Industry and Infrastructure Development Ministry.

In total they cover 160 blocks (subsoil areas) on the border of Shet and Aktogay districts, west of Bektau-Ata tract, with a total area of about 370 square kilometers. The plots border on exploration licenses of other subsoil users, including Fortescue Metals.

Previously, another Polyus entity expressed interest in a site near the Otkormochnoe tract in the Osakarovsky district of the Karaganda Kegion, but was rejected, as well as a site in the territory of the Kazakh national park Altyn-Emel in the Panfilov district of the Almaty Kegion - the fate of this application is unknown.

Until now, Polyus had no assets outside Russia, but the company said that "the nearest CIS countries are the second natural region of presence after Russia."