ALMATY, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan will allocate 240 billion tenge (about 500 million U.S. dollars) for geological exploration in three years from 2026, its government's press service said Wednesday.
In 2025, 20 geological survey projects covering a total area of 100,000 square km were conducted, followed by an annual survey of 30,000 square km of the most promising area in the coming three years.
The new budget will be used to conduct seismic exploration in sedimentary basins and develop modern geological infrastructure, said the service.
The surveyed areas have high potential for the discovery of deposits of copper, gold, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, barite and bauxite, it said.
In comparison, a total of 469 million dollars was invested in geological exploration in Kazakhstan over the past 15 years. ■