Facts on Afghanistan >>> Despite being one of the poorest nations in the world, Afghanistan may be sitting on one of the richest troves of minerals in the world, valued at nearly $1 trillion, according to U.S. scientists. Afghanistan, is loaded with minerals deposited by the violent collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia.hence why its always kept in a war like state. Good ol U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began inspecting what mineral resources Afghanistan had after U.S.-led forces drove the Taliban from power in the country in 2004. As it turns out, the Afghanistan Geological Survey staff had kept Soviet geological maps and reports up to 50 years old or more that hinted at a geological gold mine. In 2006, U.S. researchers flew airborne missions to conduct magnetic, gravity and hyperspectral surveys over Afghanistan. The magnetic surveys probed for iron-bearing minerals up to 6 miles (10 kilometers) below the surface, while the gravity surveys tried to identify sediment-filled basins potentially rich in oil and gas. The hyperspectral survey looked at the spectrum of light reflected off rocks to identify the light signatures unique to each mineral. More than 70 percent of the country was mapped in just two months. The surveys verified all the major Soviet finds. Afghanistan may hold 60 million tons of copper, 2.2 billion tons of iron ore, 1.4 million tons of rare earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium and neodymium, and lodes of aluminum, gold, silver, zinc, mercury and lithium. For instance, the Khanneshin carbonatite deposit in Afghanistans Helmand province is valued at $89 billion, full as it is with rare earth elements. Afghanistan is a country that is very, very rich in mineral resources, Jack Medlin, a geologist and program manager of the U.S. Geological Surveys Afghanistan project, told Live Science. Weve identified the potential for at least 24 world-class mineral deposits. The scientists work was detailed in the Aug. 15 issue of the journal Science. In 2010, the USGS data attracted the attention of the U.S. Department of Defenses Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO), which is entrusted with rebuilding Afghanistan. The task force valued Afghanistans mineral resources at $908 billion, while the Afghan governments estimate is $3 trillion. Is that it? Over the past four years, USGS and TFBSO have embarked on dozens of excursions in the war zone to collect and analyze mineral samples to confirm the aerial findings. Performing an assessment of mineral resources in Afghanistan is not like going out in the United States and doing normal field work, Medlin said. What becomes very, very obvious in Afghanistan is the huge amount of pre-planning that has to take place in order to visit any site in that country, such as who is going to provide security and how much security is needed. You also have to plan how you are actually going to get to some place, as for most of the sites in Afghanistan, you cannot drive there — our work involved helicopters, and for our safety, we couldnt be on the ground very long to get samples. The researchers work has helped develop what are essentially treasure maps that let mining companies know what minerals are there, how much is there, and where they are, all to attract bids on the rights to the deposits. The Afghan government has already signed a 30-year, $3 billion contract with the China Metallurgical Group, a state-owned mining enterprise based in Beijing, to exploit the Mes Aynak copper deposit, and awarded mining rights for the countrys biggest iron deposit to a group of Indian state-run and private companies. Hang on a minute? 3 billion for 30 years? Afghanistan is being raped again. I mean, Israel gets 3 billion a year, not 3 billion for THREE bleedin decades! These resources provide the potential for Afghanistan to develop its economy, to create jobs and build infrastructure, as it goes into the future, Medlin said. The mineral riches could lift Afghanistan out of poverty and fight crime and terrorism, said Said Mirzad, co-coordinator of the U.S. Geological Surveys Afghanistan program..
Posted on: Sun, 07 Sep 2014 09:53:32 +0000
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