Kentau Processing Plant + Bayaldyr Tailings Storage Facility
Reprocessing of man-made mineral material in Turkestan Region: an approved resource base under the KazRC Code and a long-term mining licence.
A man-made deposit with a confirmed resource base
The Bayaldyr tailings storage facility was established in 1961 to accommodate flotation tailings from the Kentau and Mirgalimsay processing plants, which formed part of Achpolimetall JSC. Barite-polymetallic ores from the Mirgalimsay, Shalkiya, Ansay, Karagayly and Zharrem deposits were previously processed here.
In 2023–2024, a full cycle of exploration work was carried out at the site: 229 holes were drilled for a total of 6,723 linear metres with a core recovery of 86%. Laboratory testing was performed at the international laboratories SGS, ALS and SAEL using the multi-element ICP-OES method.
Reserves and resources have been estimated to a depth of 280 metres in accordance with the KazRC Code; the report has been approved by the Geology Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
| Location | Turkestan Region, city of Kentau |
|---|---|
| Asset type | Man-made mineral formation (tailings) |
| Site area | 346 ha |
| Reserves and resources (KazRC) | 131.2 million tonnes of ore |
| — Identified | 114.1 million t (Pb 0.31% · Zn 0.50%) |
| — Inferred | 17.0 million t (Pb 0.30% · Zn 0.27%) |
| Primary metals | lead, zinc |
Processing capacity
Plant No. 1 — in operation
Capacity of 100 thousand tonnes per year. Commissioned and carrying out industrial-scale processing of mineral material.
Plant No. 2 — under construction
Design capacity of 6 million tonnes per year. Construction and installation work is under way; the process design specification is being developed by the engineering company Xinhai.
Infrastructure
25 MW power transmission lines on the plant site, a road and a railway line within the city limits, finished-product and reagent warehouses, and a rotational workers' camp.
Licences and permitting documentation
| Solid minerals mining licence | No. 167-NML dated 21 May 2025, valid until 21 May 2047 |
|---|---|
| Exploration licence | No. 965-EL |
| Mine plan | approved through 2046 |
| Environmental impact assessment (EIA) | positive conclusion issued by the Ecology Committee of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan; public hearings have been held |
| Industrial safety declaration | registered with the Industrial Safety Committee of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan |
| Social commitments | agreement with the Kentau city administration (akimat) on social support for the region throughout the mining period |
Imagery: open sources (Wikimedia Commons). To be replaced with site photographs.
Other holding assets
The Taskora and Muzbel gold mining complex, the Berkara mining and metallurgical complex, and a portfolio of exploration licences.