Kazakhstan has inaugurated its first world-class geological cluster in Zhezkazgan, the most technologically advanced facility of its kind in Central Asia, as the nation’s mining and exploration industries continue to expand, reported the Astana Times.
The new cluster, equipped with cutting-edge systems found in only seven centres worldwide, consolidates all core stages of geological exploration on one site, Kazakhmys reported on Nov. 24. Built by local contractor Tansu Construction, the project represents an 11-billion-tenge (about US$21.1 million) investment by the Kazakhmys Group. Operated by KazakhmysBarlau, it has created more than 200 jobs.
As the first facility in Kazakhstan to fully integrate a training centre with a state-of-the-art laboratory complex, the cluster enables rapid data acquisition and accelerates decision-making in exploration. Its core storage facility, the country’s largest, can hold 200,000 meters of samples, forming a national archive of primary geological data that will allow experts to refine models and reduce exploration risks.
The laboratory block, developed jointly with global geochemical analysis leader ALS (Australia), ensures all testing meets international standards. Among the advanced technologies installed are automated German Ancorelog core-scanning systems and the AI-powered LithoLens processing suite, which boosts analysis speed from 60 to 240 linear meters per shift.