Turan Resources is preparing to develop two gold deposits in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda Region. The Aktas I and Aktas II deposits are located just one kilometer apart, allowing both sites to share a single processing plant. Open-pit mining is scheduled to begin next year.
The project is backed by a substantial mineral resource base. According to the 2023 mine development plan, the combined gold reserves of the two deposits are estimated at approximately 14.7 tonnes. Aktas II contains 10 tonnes of gold reserves, including 5.5 tonnes classified as C1 and 4.5 tonnes as C2 under the former Soviet resource classification system. Aktas I contributes an additional 4.7 tonnes in the C2 category.
Mining will be carried out using open-pit methods. The first ore is expected to be extracted in 2027, and the operation is scheduled to reach its design capacity of 1.2 million tonnes of ore per year in 2028. Over the mine’s planned 11-year operating life, more than 12 million tonnes of gold-bearing ore are expected to be mined.
The close proximity of the two deposits and their access to existing infrastructure are major advantages for the project. Both sites are located about 25 kilometers from the settlement of Sayak and will receive power from the Balkhash Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP). A shared processing facility and integrated logistics network are expected to reduce capital costs and simplify project development.
The project is backed by a group of private investors. Turan Resources is jointly owned by Alexander Kim, Murat Kymbatov, Daulet Syzdykov, and Alibek Shakirimov, all of whom have prior experience in the mining sector through investments in several resource companies.
Known primarily for its large copper operations, the Balkhash region is now set to add a new gold mining project. Turan Resources is relying on the compact layout of its assets and existing energy infrastructure to accelerate development and improve the project’s economic performance.
Source: Qazba.kz
Image: AltynAlmas
