Afghanistan

India wants to truck Afghan ore through Pakistan

India is hoping to bury the hatchet with its historical rival Pakistan, at least enough for both sides to benefit from a massive iron ore deposit in Afghanistan.

Iron ore, check; Indian companies now looking to bid on Afghan copper, gold deposits

After achieving a toe-hold in Afghanistan with the award of a major iron ore contract, Indian companies are turning their attention to the troubled country's copper and gold reserves.

Afghanistan to Sell Bamiyan's Siya Dara Iron Mine

The Afghan Ministry of Mines on Saturday announced that it is selling the rights to develop Bamiyan's Siya Dara iron mine.

Coal mine incident kills another labor in Baghlan province

According to reports, another Afghan coal mine labor was killed at northern Nahrin district of Baghlan province during the rescue efforts on Saturday evening. The latest casualty tolls up the number to 12 who have been killed in Nahrin coal mine collap…

Mr Karzai invites gold and copper bidders to Afghanistan

The Karzai administration opened bids on billions of dollars worth of copper and gold deposits in four areas of occupied Afghanistan. The Afghan Ministry of Mines invited foreign transnationals to bid on multiple contracts to unearth copper and gold…

Afghanistan opens up to gold miners

IBTimes reported that Afghanistan is issuing tenders on gold properties in an effort to reduce dependence on international aid.

Indian consortium and Canadian firm awarded big Afghan iron ore contract

A group of Indian companies and Canada's Kilo Goldmines Ltd. (CVE:KGL) have been awarded the contract to mine the Hajigak iron ore deposit in Afghanistan.

MINING.com reported Nov. 19 that Indian firms were leading the chase for the huge iron ore property, which is being touted by the Afghans as the world’s largest iron ore deposit at 1.8 billion tonnes. The deposit extends over 32 kilometres and covers 16 separate zones.

Bloomberg reports that President Hamid Karzai and his government awarded three of the four Hajigak blocks to seven Indian companies, led by state-owned Steel Authority of India Ltd. and NMDC Ltd., that were bidding with support from the Indian government. The fourth block was awarded to Kilo Goldmines, which is described on its website as a gold exploration and development company that is actively drilling several past-producing mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Indian companies likely to win huge Afghan iron ore mine

International Business Times reports that the Afghan mining ministry is leaning heavily towards two state-owned Indian mining firms to develop the country's massive Hajigak iron ore mine:

"Afghanistan's minister of mines Wahidullah Shahrani said Steel Authority of  India  Ltd. (SAIL) and mineral giant NMDC Ltd. were leading the pack of overseas companies from Canada, US and Iran. A third Indian company, Ispat Alloys, was also included in the shortlist."

The article says a SAIL-led consortium has bid for all four Hajigak iron ore blocks, and that the Karzai-led government is giving preference to companies that could set up a steel plant. The contract is estimated to be worth some $6 billion.

Foreign powers eyeing $3 trillion Afghan resource spoils

While peace in Afghanistan still looks to be a utopian dream, AFP reports that developing nations like China and India are eager to make resource deals in the troubled country even before the guns fall silent:

While an end to the fighting seems remote for now, mining lots are being quickly parcelled out among Afghanistan's resource-hungry neighbours, potentially sparking a new "Great Game" for control of its battle-worn ground.
According to mining ministry documents seen by AFP, Afghanistan is planning to sell extraction rights for up to five mines every year until the departure of the last foreign combat troops in 2014 — a rattling pace, say experts.

Huge rare earths potential in Afghanistan; security issues remain

As the U.S.-led Afghan campaign lurches into its second decade, the country's vast untapped mineralogical resources are again emerging in the Western media, seemingly underpinning the benefits of International Security Assistance Force troops "staying the course" and defeating the insurgency, after which these resources can be tapped, both providing the administration of Afghan President Hamid Karzai with a source beyond drugs for reconstruction and Western companies who develop the reserves a handsome profit.

Indian firms eye $6 billion Afghan iron ore contract

As the United States and its allies look back on a weekend of memorials and tributes to the nearly 3,000 victims of 9/11, the country that was struck in retaliation for the 2001 attack on America could become a hotbed of mining.

The National reports that Indian firms are bidding billions of dollars for a contract to mine iron ore in a central district of Afghanistan:

"A consortium led by the state-run Steel Authority of India (SAIL) could invest up to US$6 billion (Dh22bn) in the mine, railroads and a steel plant in a race with China to lock in raw materials for two of the world's fastest-growing economies."

US finds 1Mt rare earth deposit in Afghanistan

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said on Wednesday it estimated there were at least one-million tons of rare earth elements contained in resources in Afghanistan’s restive Helmand province.

Indian companies bid for Afghan iron ore mine

Steel Authority of India Ltd and JSW Steel Ltd are among seven Indian steel and mining companies that have jointly bid for Afghanistan's Hajigak iron ore mines, Steel Authority chairman C S Verma said.

Afghan copper mine to start production by end 2014

Delayed for several years owing to the discovery of historical artefacts at the project site, Metallurgical Corporation of China expects to start production at its Aynak copper mine by the end of 2014 Metallurgical Corp of China Ltd (MCC) , China's major

Indian investment in Hajigak iron ore mine in Afghanistan

Mr Dinsha Patel, Minister of State for Mines, informed the Lok Sabha that the government of Afghanistan has invited offers for commercial exploitation of Hajigak Iron Ore Deposit through the process of competitive bidding.

Afghanistan vows to "set standards" on child labor in mines

For around $2 a day some Afghan children as young as 10 work long hours in the country's coal mines with no safety gear and, until now, no government mining policy to protect them.

While national law allows Afghan children to work up to 35 hours a week from the age of 14, they are not allowed to do hazardous jobs such as mining.

Warlords, lack of government capacity threaten Afghan iron mining: watchdog

A giant Afghan iron ore deposit may provide hope for the prosperity of the country, but the Afghan government is not able to ensure the mine is managed properly and profiteering warlords could spark further violence, a graft watchdog said on Sunday

Copper mining will crush ancient Afghan site

The ruins poke out of a monotonous stretch of scrub and beckon the world to visit Afghanistan as it was more than 1,400 years ago, when Buddhist monasteries dotted the landscape.

An ancient citadel juts from a tall crag, standing sentinel over what once was a flourishing settlement.

Image is from Reuters Video.

India joins China bidding for Afghan mining riches

While Western mining multinationals are conspicuous in their absence from any bids for Afghanistan's vast resources of copper and iron ore Tata Steel on Thursday joined other Indian steelmakers to bid for the Hajigak iron ore deposits 130km west of Kabul.

So far only China has made any firm commitment to the country's mining sector with state-owned Metallurgical Corp's successful $3.4bn bid to build a copper mine – and a $6bn railway to go with it – that should enter production in 2014.

China has head start tapping $3 trillion Afghan minerals

Reuters reports Afghanistan has grand plans for a vast rail network to attract mining investors, but experts say the project would simply be a new target for insurgents and warn that sovereign risk and high production costs are also deterring companies.

With an impoverished economy ravaged by more than three decades of war and corruption and now bank rolled by foreign aid, Afghanistan's government has pinned its hopes of rebuilding on untapped mineral resources of mainly iron ore and copper, which it has said could be worth up to $3 trillion.

Afghanistan hopes new gold deal will bring new FDI

The war-torn country today signed a deal with a local company backed by foreign investors to develop the country's second gold mine Afghanistan signed a deal on Monday with a local company backed by foreign investors to develop the country's second gold