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  3. Global assessment of undiscovred copper resources

Kazakh-Tianshan

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Cambrian through Silurian igneous rocks (Kipchak and Stepnyak-North Tienshan island arcs) in the western part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Partly covered by the Late Paleozoic Balkash-Yili Arc.
Tract ID 142pCu8502
Country China-Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan
Commodity Cu
Study area name Central Asia Orogenic Belt
Tectonic setting continental margin
Deposit type porphyry copper
Grade-tonnage model General porphyry copper model (Singer and others, 2008)
Geologic age
Geologic feature age Cambrian through Silurian
Generalized age Paleozoic
Oldest rocks age 542Ma
Youngest rocks age 416Ma
Age range 126Ma
Identified Cu resources 8,700,000metric tons
Known prospects 2
Mean Cu (t/sq km) 156t/sq km
Map scales used 1M

Results of the assessment

Assessment date 2013
Estimators Alexeiev, D. (Russian Academy of Sciences); Bookstrom, Arthur A.(USGS); Frost, Thomas P. (USGS); Hammarstrom, Jane M. (USGS); Light, Thomas D. (USGS); Ludington, Steve (USGS); Mihalasky, Mark, J. (USGS); Panteleyev, Andre (XDM Geological Consultants)
Assessment depth 1km
Quantitative assessment Yes

Estimated number of deposits

Number of deposits Confidence level
1 90%
2 50%
8 10%
8 5%
8 1%
Mean estimated deposits 3.43 ±2.73 (0.8%)
Probability of mean 0.28
Probability of no copper 0.06

Estimated deposit density

Known
deposits		 Total
deposits		 Area
(sq km)		 Deposit density
per 100,000 sq km
3 6.43 89,608 7

Mean estimated tonnage

Copper 14,000,000
Molybdenum 370,000
Gold 330
Silver 4,300
Ore 2,700

Undiscovered copper resource

Confidence level 90% 50% 10% 5%
Tonnage 210,000 5,500,000 34,000,000 52,000,000

Economic analysis

Fraser country China, Kazhakstan, Kyrgyzstan
Fraser type 0.22%
Fraser high 0.79%
Typical cost 0%
High cost 1%
Infrastructure setting High cost
Comments on depth default
Expected depth distribution
0 - 250m 0.25
250m - 500m 0.25
500m - 1km 0.5
Economically recoverable resources
Copper 6,900,000t
Molybdenum 140,000t
Gold 110t
Silver 2,000t
Probability no econ recoverable 0.64
Econ NPV 1,100x $1M
Exp dollars 6.15x $1M/100,000 sq km
Exp value class Low

Bibliographic references

General Mihalasky, Ludington, Hammarstrom, and others (2015)
Economic Robinson and Menzie (2012)
Mihalasky, M.J., Ludington, Steve, Hammarstrom, J.M., Alexeiev, D.V., Frost, T.P., Light, T.D., Robinson, G.R., Jr., Briggs, D.A., Wallis, J.C., and Miller, R.J., with contributions from Bookstrom, A.A., Panteleyev, Andre, Chitalin, Andre, Seltmann, Reimar, Guangsheng, Y., Changyun, L., Jingwen, M., Jinyi, L., Keyan, X., Ruizhao, Q., Jianbao, S., Gangyi, S., and Yuliang, D., 2015, Porphyry Copper Assessment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and eastern Tethysides—China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and India: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–X, 106 p. and spatial data, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20105090X.Robinson, G.R., Jr., and Menzie, W.D., 2012, Economic filters for evaluating porphyry copper deposit resource assessments using grade-tonnage deposit models, with examples from the U.S. Geological Survey global mineral resource assessment (ver 1.2, March 2014): U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5090–H, 21 p., http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5090/h/.

Deposits and prospects associated with this tract

Name Type State Country Development Details
Bozshakol deposit Pavlodar oblysy Kazakhstan Prospect Details
Kyzyltu deposit Aqmola oblysy Kazakhstan Prospect Details
Nurkazgan deposit Qaraghandy oblysy Kazakhstan Producer Details
Xiemistai prospect Xinjiang China Prospect Details