• KGS/USD = 0.01143 -0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 -0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.10820 0.19%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28575 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01143 -0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 -0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.10820 0.19%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28575 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01143 -0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 -0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.10820 0.19%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28575 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01143 -0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 -0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.10820 0.19%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28575 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01143 -0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 -0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.10820 0.19%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28575 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01143 -0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 -0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.10820 0.19%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28575 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01143 -0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 -0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.10820 0.19%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28575 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01143 -0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00192 -0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.10820 0.19%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28575 0%
14 December 2025
23 October 2025

Kyrgyzstan Expands Mineral Reserves Amid New Exploration Drive

Kumtor Gold Mine @president.kg

Kyrgyzstan now boasts over 1,000 deposits of 51 different types of minerals, including precious, base, and rare earth metals, as well as coal and hydrocarbons, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision.

Among the most prominent is the Kumtor gold mine, situated at an altitude of 4,000 meters in the Issyk-Kul region. Kumtor ranks among the world’s ten largest gold deposits and remains a cornerstone of the national mining sector.

Approximately 400 deposits across the country are currently under development or active exploration, while operations at around 600 sites have been suspended pending reserve reassessments and upgrades to mining technologies.

The mining sector is considered a strategic priority for Kyrgyzstan’s economy. After years of limited geological activity, the government allocated 1 billion soms in 2024 to Kyrgyzgeology for equipment modernization and intensified exploration of polymetals and rare earth elements.

Between January and September 2025, the industry recorded stable growth in both output and reserves. As of January 1, 2025, Kyrgyzstan’s confirmed reserves included 973 tons of gold, 1,100 tons of silver, and 960,400 tons of copper, along with significant quantities of other minerals.

Recent exploration efforts yielded an additional 5.8 tons of gold, 3.7 tons of silver, and substantial volumes of non-ferrous metals, coal, and construction materials.

In the first nine months of 2025, Kyrgyzstan produced 17 tons of gold, 198,000 tons of oil, 18.9 million cubic meters of gas, and 2.3 million tons of coal.

To support industry growth, the government conducted 26 auctions for subsoil use rights, generating $1.6 million in revenue. As of September 2025, a total of 2,005 mining licenses had been issued, including 103 granted to state-owned enterprises.

Sergey Kwan

Sergey Kwan

Sergey Kwan has worked for The Times of Central Asia as a journalist, translator and editor since its foundation in March 1999. Prior to this, from 1996-1997, he worked as a translator at The Kyrgyzstan Chronicle, and from 1997-1999, as a translator at The Central Asian Post.
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Kwan studied at the Bishkek Polytechnic Institute from 1990-1994, before completing his training in print journalism in Denmark.

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