The geological history of Afghanistan is very complex, because as a collision zone with block structure between Asia and Indian plates the country sits as a field of minerals and tectonic structures like a natural fabric for geological resources.
Fig (7): Tectonic map of Afghanistan and the location of the Aynak mine, after USGS. Sections of Aynak copper deposits, refer [52] (USGS).
U.S Geological Survey in 2002 reported more than 1,000 mines and minerals occurrences in Afghanistan. This report is compiled by Orris & Bliss [51].
One of these mines is the ”Aynak Copper Deposit”, located some 30 km. south-south-east of Kabul in the south-east of Afghanistan. Some geologists estimate that this mine is the largest in the World (click to enlarge).
The Aynak Copper deposit was discovered by Russian geologists in 1974, and it is estimated to contain 11.3 million tons of copper [53].
In a PowerPoint presentation from the British Geological Survey (BGS) [54] a database is mentioned that these geologists created from exploration boreholes in Aynak. They have translated all reports relating to Aynak from Russian into English and explained that Aynak is a world-class copper deposit - it is an example of sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposit with similarities to Zambian Copper Belt. Ayank is one of a number of copper prospects that occur in the central part of a discrete fault-bounded tectonic terrane known as the Kabul block. The deposit occupies an area of 7.0 km2 and is divided into two prospects, Central Anyak and Western Aynak. The mineralization is disseminated and stratiform within schist and calcareous metasedimentary rocks of Vendian-Cambrian age (about 555-600 Ma years ago).
The Central Prospect located on a shallow-dipping eastern limb of an anticline. The Western Prospect occurs at the periclinal closure of the anticline. The below figures show more details from Aynak copper deposits (click to enlarge).
In 24/nov/2007 Afghan Mining Ministry has awarded this large mine to Chinese companies, Metallurgical Corp of China (MCC) and Jiangxi Copper, after two years of bidding. The Chinese have agreed to invest nearly $3 billion in order to set up mining operations and overcome the lack of basic infrastructure.
These companies announced that the production of copper from Aynak would be starting in 2013. The first phase of the Ayank copper mining project would have a designed capacity of 200,000 tons of copper in concentrate, said Zeng Tao, sales manager of the copper and zinc unit of Hong Kong-listed MCC. He said capacity would be expanded to 500,000 tons in the second phase. He added the Aynak project is 75 percent owned by MCC and 25 percent by Jiangxi Copper, China’s top copper producer [55].
Some people are optimistic over this contract, especially Hamid Karzai and his cabinet: “Aynak Copper Mine is one of the most important economic projects in Afghan history, with a great impact on the Afghan social and economic development, and it is necessary to put it into operation as soon as possible,” said President Karzai while chairing the Cabinet session [56].
The Sunday Times (May 15/2005) [57] published: “Somewhere beneath the valley’s floor lies one of the world’s biggest untapped copper deposits, estimated to be worth up to $88 billion (£44 billion) – more than double Afghanistan’s entire gross domestic product (GDP) in 2007. In November, a 30-year lease was sold to the China Metallurgical Group for $3 billion, making it the biggest foreign investment and private business venture in Afghanistan’s history”.
As mentionend above, the winners have complex plans for how Aynak’s copper is to be used for products. But has the Karzai team also a clear plan on how to use this resource and investigation for the development of the country? There are no available sources describing the details of any governmental plan of the Karzai regime as to the use of the $400 million it got from the lease, which makes up about 45 percent of the annual budget of Afghanistan.
I am very concerned about the Aynak mine. If the lease comprises the whole of Aynak, maybe Aynak will become empty like mines in Afrika, and I am also sure that the money from Chinese companies paid for the Afghan site is used mostly for corruption and creating more distance between the government and the people, producing various social conflicts, instead of a comprehensible solution for the whole nation! In Hamid Karzai´s regime everyone is trying to help their own race, ethnics, parties, sites, religion etc.
---
[51] Orris, G.J. & Bliss, J.D 2002: Mines and Mineral Occurrences of Afghanistan. U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVY.
[52] USGS-Mines and Mineral Occurrences of Afghanistan 2002.
[53] http://www.embassyofafghanistan.org/AYNAKCOPPERMINE.html.
[54] Mir Sediq Minister of Mines and Industries Mines and Money, London 2005: Mining and Mineral Resources in Afghanistan.
[55] http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/06/30/mcc-copper-zinc-idUSBJI00233020100630.
[56] English news.cn 22/5/2011: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-05/22/c_13888275.htm.
[57] The Sunday Times (May 15/2005).
afgeopol@gmail.com
U.S Geological Survey in 2002 reported more than 1,000 mines and minerals occurrences in Afghanistan. This report is compiled by Orris & Bliss [51].
One of these mines is the ”Aynak Copper Deposit”, located some 30 km. south-south-east of Kabul in the south-east of Afghanistan. Some geologists estimate that this mine is the largest in the World (click to enlarge).
The Aynak Copper deposit was discovered by Russian geologists in 1974, and it is estimated to contain 11.3 million tons of copper [53].
In a PowerPoint presentation from the British Geological Survey (BGS) [54] a database is mentioned that these geologists created from exploration boreholes in Aynak. They have translated all reports relating to Aynak from Russian into English and explained that Aynak is a world-class copper deposit - it is an example of sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposit with similarities to Zambian Copper Belt. Ayank is one of a number of copper prospects that occur in the central part of a discrete fault-bounded tectonic terrane known as the Kabul block. The deposit occupies an area of 7.0 km2 and is divided into two prospects, Central Anyak and Western Aynak. The mineralization is disseminated and stratiform within schist and calcareous metasedimentary rocks of Vendian-Cambrian age (about 555-600 Ma years ago).
The Central Prospect located on a shallow-dipping eastern limb of an anticline. The Western Prospect occurs at the periclinal closure of the anticline. The below figures show more details from Aynak copper deposits (click to enlarge).
Fig. (9) The stratiform of copper deposits in Aynak mine in
the Logar province in the south-east of Afghanistan [52].
In 24/nov/2007 Afghan Mining Ministry has awarded this large mine to Chinese companies, Metallurgical Corp of China (MCC) and Jiangxi Copper, after two years of bidding. The Chinese have agreed to invest nearly $3 billion in order to set up mining operations and overcome the lack of basic infrastructure.
These companies announced that the production of copper from Aynak would be starting in 2013. The first phase of the Ayank copper mining project would have a designed capacity of 200,000 tons of copper in concentrate, said Zeng Tao, sales manager of the copper and zinc unit of Hong Kong-listed MCC. He said capacity would be expanded to 500,000 tons in the second phase. He added the Aynak project is 75 percent owned by MCC and 25 percent by Jiangxi Copper, China’s top copper producer [55].
Some people are optimistic over this contract, especially Hamid Karzai and his cabinet: “Aynak Copper Mine is one of the most important economic projects in Afghan history, with a great impact on the Afghan social and economic development, and it is necessary to put it into operation as soon as possible,” said President Karzai while chairing the Cabinet session [56].
The Sunday Times (May 15/2005) [57] published: “Somewhere beneath the valley’s floor lies one of the world’s biggest untapped copper deposits, estimated to be worth up to $88 billion (£44 billion) – more than double Afghanistan’s entire gross domestic product (GDP) in 2007. In November, a 30-year lease was sold to the China Metallurgical Group for $3 billion, making it the biggest foreign investment and private business venture in Afghanistan’s history”.
As mentionend above, the winners have complex plans for how Aynak’s copper is to be used for products. But has the Karzai team also a clear plan on how to use this resource and investigation for the development of the country? There are no available sources describing the details of any governmental plan of the Karzai regime as to the use of the $400 million it got from the lease, which makes up about 45 percent of the annual budget of Afghanistan.
I am very concerned about the Aynak mine. If the lease comprises the whole of Aynak, maybe Aynak will become empty like mines in Afrika, and I am also sure that the money from Chinese companies paid for the Afghan site is used mostly for corruption and creating more distance between the government and the people, producing various social conflicts, instead of a comprehensible solution for the whole nation! In Hamid Karzai´s regime everyone is trying to help their own race, ethnics, parties, sites, religion etc.
---
[51] Orris, G.J. & Bliss, J.D 2002: Mines and Mineral Occurrences of Afghanistan. U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVY.
[52] USGS-Mines and Mineral Occurrences of Afghanistan 2002.
[53] http://www.embassyofafghanistan.org/AYNAKCOPPERMINE.html.
[54] Mir Sediq Minister of Mines and Industries Mines and Money, London 2005: Mining and Mineral Resources in Afghanistan.
[55] http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/06/30/mcc-copper-zinc-idUSBJI00233020100630.
[56] English news.cn 22/5/2011: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-05/22/c_13888275.htm.
[57] The Sunday Times (May 15/2005).
afgeopol@gmail.com
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