Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country on our planet: its 2,7 million square kilometers make it the largest land-locked territory in the World. It has many beautiful vistas, like forests, plains, mountains, and near-infinite riches hidden underground. It only makes sense then that many companies and entities are looking for deposits of some of the most lucrative minerals in the World; Kazakhstan is the leading producer of:
- Uranium: around 40% of the World's uranium reserves are located here
- Tungsten: key for the production of electrical contacts and light bulb filaments
- Barite: a weighting agent in drilling fluids in the oil and gas industry
- Rhenium: critical for creating high-temperature alloys for the aerospace and aviation industries
- Fluorspar: a component in the production of aluminum, gasoline, and refrigerants
- Chromium: mineral used in the production of stainless steel and other alloys
- Lead and zinc: crucial for the production of batteries and many other items and components
With so much to look forward to, we were equally excited and intimidated to take on our first project in the Kazakh wilderness.