Chinese Companies to Drill 170 Wells in Kazakhstan in Search of Gold

Central Asia Kaisheng Minerals & Energy International Group Ltd., a private company owned by Chinese investors Lu Fan and Lu Hang, has secured a license to explore for gold and other hard minerals in Kazakhstan's Akmola region. Technical Scope and Timeline The exploration will focus on the Perspektivny-2 site near Zholy mbet in the Shortandy district. The license covers 22 blocks, totaling 47.52 square kilometers. The project is structured into three distinct phases: Phase 1 (Q3 2026 — Q4 2028): Search and exploration. The company plans to drill 165-170 boreholes with an average depth of 60 meters, totaling 10,000 linear meters. Sampling includes 304 assay samples and 1,600 channel samples for gold and base metal analysis. Phase 2 (2029-2031): Industrial evaluation and appraisal. Phase 3 (2032): Official registration of reserves and a geological-economic assessment of mining viability. Regional Context and Competition The Perspektivny-2 site is located in a region historically operated by KazakhAltyn, a subsidiary of Altynalmas, one of Kazakhstan's three largest gold producers. This new Chinese entry coincides with Altynalmas' expansion in the same area.