Pakistan to tap copper reserves next year: Dawn

By Amin Ahmed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is expected to emerge on the world map next year as a major copper producing country when the world’s largest copper and gold producing company’s billion dollar investment in Saindak is expected to be launched.

The ‘Reko Dik Copper-gold project’ is expected to produce 0.3 million tons of copper annually through indigenous physical and human capabilities. However, this is subject to entering into viable agreement between the mining company, federal government and Balochistan government.

The Duddar lead-zinc deposits in Balochistan being developed by Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) have come into production to produce 100,000 tons of zinc concentrates and 33,000 tons of lead concentrates for export.

Official reports reveal that the mineral sector is expected to grow by two per cent in the fiscal year, beginning next month with an allocation of Rs580 million earmarked by the Planning Commission in its annual plan.

The government has decided to launch three projects during the coming fiscal year which include ground follow-up of aeromagnetic anomalies in Chagai district, accelerated Geological Mapping and Geochemical exploration of the out-crop area of Pakistan, and up-gradation and strengthening of Geo-sciences Advance Research Laboratories of Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP).

The Thar coal field containing 175 billion tons of good quality lignite, on completion, would be used for power generation and gasification.

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