Taking into account the results of the “2020–2024 State Program on the Geological Study of the Subsoil and Efficient Use of the Mineral Resource Base” and the “First State Program on the Great Return to the Territories Liberated from Occupation,” Azerbaijan plans to expand the total area covered by geological exploration to 15,000 square kilometers.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that this is reflected in the “2027–2030 State Program on the Development of the Mining (Metal Ores) and Metallurgical Industry” approved by President Ilham Aliyev.
According to the document, the plans also include identifying new mineral deposits, уточнение the reserves of existing deposits and creating a reliable raw-material base for industry, as well as applying international
reporting standards for geological exploration and mineral-resource assessment. The program envisages preparing promising deposits in the Nakhchivan, Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur economic regions, as well as other parts of the country, for development, including the Filizchay polymetallic deposit and the Soyudlu (Zod) gold deposit, and expanding ore-processing capacity.
It also provides for attracting domestic and foreign investment to projects involving the extraction and processing of metal ores. Geological exploration is intended to support the identification and assessment of mineral resources, strengthen Azerbaijan’s industrial raw-material base and contribute to the development of the country’s mining and metallurgical sectors.
