In March 2017, a world-class copper ore beneficiation plant with an annual processing capacity of 37 million tons of ore was officially put into operation in Aktogai, a small town deep in the Gobi Desert of East Kazakhstan, before the cold wind dissipated. The Chinese builders who rushed to the construction site and adjusted equipment may not have expected that years later they would return to this desert with algorithms and remote sensing images - this time, the task is not to build factories, but to search for mines.

From building factories to finding mines

On October 19, 2026, Almaty. KAZ Minerals and China Nonferrous Metals Construction Co., Ltd. (NFC) have signed a memorandum of understanding on mineral resource exploration cooperation, with plans to introduce advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence in mineral deposit exploration.

This is not an unfamiliar handshake. Over the past decade, NFC has undertaken and put into operation key projects such as the Bozshakuole sulfide and kaolin ore beneficiation plant, and the Aktuogai sulfide ore beneficiation plant. The Aktogai copper mine has proven reserves of over 1.7 billion tons and a total investment of approximately 2.1 billion US dollars, which is regarded as a landmark project for China Kazakhstan capacity cooperation. Nowadays, with further cooperation, NFC's role is shifting from being a general contractor to a technology partner for joint exploration.

Oleg Novachuk, Chairman of the Board of KAZ Minerals Group, reviewed the cooperation experience and stated that during the construction of the Aktogei and Bozshakule projects, CNMC demonstrated a high level of professionalism and jointly built a world-class mining and selection enterprise.

Enable AI to understand geological formations

Kazakhstan is currently placing geological exploration in an unprecedented position: about 240 billion tenge will be invested in exploration over the next three years, with plans to conduct annual surveys of the most promising 30000 square kilometers and build a modern geological laboratory in Astana. Finding quickly and accurately has become the most realistic proposition in the industry.

The memorandum provides a technical solution: both parties will explore the application of modern exploration methods such as remote sensing technology, geophysical and geochemical exploration, artificial intelligence, and 3D modeling of geological data, while focusing on studying historical geological data, delineating suitable drilling areas, and evaluating mineral resources. This means that the old data sleeping in the filing cabinet will have the opportunity to be reinterpreted by algorithms, and the blind spots under the Gobi Desert may also be illuminated by data.

Education and the Next Journey

In addition to technology, the memorandum also proposes the possibility of conducting professional talent training, joint scientific research, and training programs. The next step for both parties will be to develop a specific cooperation roadmap. CNMC Chairman Wen Gang stated that Kazakhstan is the most important country in the region, and KAZ Minerals is the most important strategic partner. The two sides will work together to promote the development of geological exploration and explore the possibility of joint investment in the mining industry.

From concrete from a selection plant to a database in a mining area, the old partners of China and Kazakhstan are pushing their cooperation deeper underground and towards a longer technological chain.Editor/Yang Meiling