14-16 April 2026 Astana, Kazakhstan✦

Media Release

Astana, Kazakhstan ·

MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 Showcased Kazakhstan’s Drive Towards Value-Added Mining, Investment Reform and Strategic Partnerships

Official post-event media release from the 16th Mining & Exploration Forum MINEX Kazakhstan 2026.

Institutional Profile

Forum organisers

The MINEX Kazakhstan Forum is organised under the registered trade mark owned and operated by Advantix Ltd.

About the organiser

Advantix is a UK company established in 2002 and specialises in organising international events in finance, mining, metallurgy and the transition to low-carbon production.

In Kazakhstan, the forum is co-organised with Mining Forum LLP, a local partner, and is supported by Kazakhstani and international organisations.

The same organisational team has been staging MINEX Kazakhstan in Astana since 2010, turning it into one of Central Asia’s most influential platforms for dialogue between government, industry and investors.

Advantix Ltd advantix.co.uk
MINEX Kazakhstan Forum — organised by Advantix Ltd in Astana since 2010
01 MINEX Kazakhstan Forum
Astana · Organised by Advantix Ltd
Parent Company
Advantix Ltd
Established
2002
Jurisdiction
United Kingdom
Local Co-Organiser
Mining Forum LLP
Sector Focus
Mining · Metallurgy · Finance · Low-Carbon
Editorial Recap

Programme and session highlights

Three days of strategic dialogue, technical insight and industry networking shaped the agenda of MINEX Kazakhstan 2026.

Day 01 14 April
Day 1 of MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Corporate communications and reputation capital session
Park Inn Astana · Pre-Forum Day

Corporate communications and reputation capital

The pre-forum day at Park Inn Astana focused on reputational capital and geopolitical resilience for mining leaders.

  • Contemporary Corporate Communications

    Organised with Montfort Eurasia, this segment featured insights from John Mann and Andrey Kozhevnikov on multichannel stakeholder communication and managing digital profiles in the age of AI.

  • The Value of Strategic Narrative

    In partnership with Nightingale Int., Eldaniz Gusseinov demonstrated that communication must begin with an analysis of the geopolitical environment, using specific cases like Kazatomprom and critical mineral sanctions.

  • From Analysis to Action

    Vlad Paddack led a session on constructing narrative matrices and stress-testing communications through crisis scenario modelling.

  • Crisis Management for Mining Leaders

    Strategia Worldwide’s Iain Pickard and Cly Wallace concluded the day by outlining the four stages of crisis communications, addressing risks related to ESG, social media, tailings, and social licence.

Day 02 15 April
Day 2 of MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Strategic visions and investment priorities at Radisson Astana
Radisson Astana · Strategic Day

Strategic visions and
investment priorities

The forum relocated to the Radisson Astana for its second day, which featured high-level policy dialogues and investment discussions.

  1. 01 Strategy Session

    Geopolitics in the Ground

    Officials and experts, including Vice Minister Iran Sharkhan and the EBRD’s Prof. David Lewis, examined Kazakhstan’s role in the global mineral race and its multi-vector reality.

  2. 02 Strategy Session

    Policy Dialogue

    Moderated by Samat Daumov, this panel debated balancing state control with investment, addressing the shift to a royalty-based model and “strategic investor” statuses.

  3. 03 Strategy Session

    Kazakhstan Vision 2030

    Sponsored by CNMC, this session explored the development of high value-added mining and metallurgical clusters, featuring leaders from Baiterek, Tau-Ken Samruk, and Kazatomprom.

  4. 04 Strategy Session

    Critical Minerals and Global Strategic Alliances

    Ambassadors from the USA, EU, UK, and Japan discussed navigating the tightening regulatory landscape to build resilient supply partnerships.

  5. 05 Investment Sessions

    Capital Access and New Discovery

    Solidcore Resources sponsored a session on modernising access to capital in partnership with the AIFC, while the Kazakhstan Chamber of Mines led a session on scaling up discovery in the country’s new mineral era.

  6. 06 Technical Session

    Innovations and Digitalisation

    Moderated by Chris Bray, this session demonstrated cases of AI implementation and productivity growth through Industry 4.0 technologies, exploring how digitalisation had become a pillar of economic competitiveness in Kazakhstan.

  7. 07 Technical Session

    ESG Transformation and Social Licence

    In partnership with IMC Montan, experts presented methodologies linking environmental and social risks with a company’s financial performance, ensuring sustainable growth.

  8. ★ Evening Programme

    Networking Drinks

    The day concluded with networking drinks sponsored by AltynGold — an informal continuation of the day’s strategic conversations.

Day 03 16 April
Day 3 of MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Technological foresight and sustainability

Technological foresight and sustainability

The final day at the Radisson Astana addressed advanced technologies, sustainability, and the economic frameworks shaping the sector’s future.

Technical 3

Finding Mineral Deposits Quickly

Explored field-tested technologies and exploration approaches delivering results across Central Asia, highlighting airborne geophysics, ambient noise tomography, and AI targeting.

Strategy 5 & Investment 3

Critical Minerals Co-Organised Session

Co-organised with the Eurasia Critical Minerals Organisation, these sessions debated how Kazakhstan could derive the highest benefit from international interest, followed by a deep dive into bridging the valuation gap in early-stage Kazakh mining M&A.

Technical 4

Water Stewardship

Organised with SLR Consulting, this panel addressed escalating water scarcity, the National Water Resource Assessment System, and the mandatory transition to closed water supply cycles.

Technical 5

Project Evaluation

Emphasised the transition from historical data to modern, bankable feasibility studies to mitigate residual risks and position operations for success.

Technical 6

Implementing Advanced Technologies

Examined how machine learning and computer vision were used to reprocess legacy seismic and geochemical Big Data into dynamic 3D digital models to predict deep ore bodies.

Technical 7

Navigating Tailings Management

Addressed the shift toward active management technologies, showcasing sonic drilling and real-time monitoring required to meet global safety standards (GISTM) and repurpose industrial waste into assets.

Strategy 6

Rethinking Mining Economics

Explored the practical implications of the 2026 Tax Code, transfer pricing, and the shift to a royalty-based system.

Conclusion & Awards

Closing Ceremony & Gala Dinner

The forum closed with key takeaways and a Gala Dinner sponsored by StoneX, featuring the Kazakhstan Chamber of Mines Excellence in Mining Awards.

Editorial Focus

Headline presenters

The forum brings together senior officials, industry leaders and innovators across five thematic streams. Headline speakers include:

01

Government Officials & Diplomats

07
Portrait of Iran Sharkhan

Iran Sharkhan

Vice Minister
Ministry of Industry and Construction RK

Portrait of Zhannat Dubirova

Zhannat Dubirova

Vice Minister
Ministry of Industry and Construction RK

Portrait of Almas Kushumov

Almas Kushumov

Director, Department of Subsoil Use
Ministry of Industry and Construction

Portrait of Julie M. Stafft

Julie M. Stafft

U.S. Ambassador

Portrait of Aleska Simkich

Aleska Simkich

EU Ambassador

Portrait of Sally Axworthy

Sally Axworthy

U.K. Ambassador

Portrait of Yasumasa Iijima

Yasumasa Iijima

Ambassador of Japan

02

Mining Industry Leaders

05
Portrait of Vitaly Nesis

Vitaly Nesis

Chief Executive Officer
Solidcore Resources

Portrait of Nariman Absametov

Nariman Absametov

Chairman of the Management Board
Tau-Ken Samruk

Portrait of Dastan Kosherbayev

Dastan Kosherbayev

Chief Strategy & Int'l Development Officer
Kazatomprom

Portrait of Dominic Heaton

Dominic Heaton

Chief Executive Officer
Cove Kaz Capital Group

Portrait of Almat Aliyev

Almat Aliyev

Managing Director
SM Minerals

03

Junior Explorers

10
Portrait of Timothy Barry

Timothy Barry

CEO, Arras Minerals

Portrait of Tremain Woods

Tremain Woods

Exploration Manager, East Star Resources

Portrait of Barry Davis

Barry Davis

Founder & MD, Scythian Mining Group

Portrait of Vladislav Kaminsky

Vladislav Kaminsky

Principal Geophysicist, Promiseland Exploration

Portrait of James Barnard

James Barnard

Regional Geologist, First Quantum Minerals

Portrait of Sven Honig

Sven Honig

Technical Director, CAML Exploration

Portrait of Ulan Nurkhanuly

Ulan Nurkhanuly

Chief Geologist, Aurora Minerals Group

Portrait of Zhandos Zhaimayev

Zhandos Zhaimayev

Business Development Manager, Geojet Group

Portrait of Farkhat Yergaliyev

Farkhat Yergaliyev

General Manager, Dala Resources

Portrait of Arkadiy Ligay

Arkadiy Ligay

Project Manager, Sarytogan Graphite

04

AI & Digitalisation Experts

04
Portrait of Dr Aliya Maussymbayeva

Dr Aliya Maussymbayeva

Associate Professor
Abylkas Saginov Karaganda Technical University

Portrait of Dr Laura Ward

Dr Laura Ward

Consultant Geologist
SRK Consulting

Portrait of Farzi Yusufali

Farzi Yusufali

Chief Executive Officer
Stratum AI

Portrait of Dr David Zhen Yin

Dr David Zhen Yin

Director & Senior Research Scientist
Stanford University Mineral-X

05

Investors & Financiers

05
Portrait of Hüseyin Özhan

Hüseyin Özhan

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Portrait of Zhandos Shaikhy

Zhandos Shaikhy

National Investment Holding Baiterek

Portrait of Michael Waitz

Michael Waitz

KfW IPEX-Bank

Portrait of Philip Clegg

Philip Clegg

Orion Resource Partners

Portrait of Marat Yelibaev

Marat Yelibaev

Development Bank of Kazakhstan

Forum Overview

Participant statistics

The 2026 edition attracted 530 registered participants from mining companies, government agencies, financial institutions and technology providers.

Registered Participants 2026 Edition · Astana

A curated international audience uniting senior decision-makers, investors and innovators across the mining value chain.

  • Mining Companies
  • Government Agencies
  • Financial Institutions
  • Technology Providers
01 Seniority

Approximately 69% of attendees hold senior titles such as chief, CEO, director, president or ambassador, highlighting the high-level nature of the forum.

03 Multi-Vector Reach
  • Europe
  • North America
  • Asia
  • Middle East

The presence of delegates from Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East illustrates Kazakhstan’s success in pursuing a multi-vector diplomacy that welcomes diverse investment partners.

02 Geographic Spread

More than half of attendees are from Kazakhstan, with the United Kingdom forming the largest foreign contingent.

Smaller delegations also joined from the USA, China, Australia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Japan and the EU — underlining the forum’s international reach.

Kazakhstan 53.7%
United Kingdom 10.8%
Russia (45) 9%
Turkey (21) 4.2%
Canada 3%
United Arab Emirates 3%
Germany 2.4%

Other delegations included the USA, China, Australia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Japan and the EU.

Acknowledgements

Sponsors and partners

The forum is supported by a range of sponsors and industry partners.

01

Key sponsors

14
02

Industry partners

04

Their involvement demonstrates the cross-cutting collaboration between consulting firms, service providers, financiers and regulators.

Investment & Industrial Transformation

Major Projects Demonstrating Value-Added Production

Kazakhstan’s vast mineral endowment and reformed legal framework have attracted an impressive roster of projects and companies. The forum will spotlight several high-impact projects that illustrate the country’s shift from extraction to value-added processing.

01 State Development Finance Platform

National Investment Holding “Baiterek”

Central to funding Kazakhstan’s industrial, agricultural and housing sectors, Baiterek consolidates the country’s development finance institutions — including the Development Bank of Kazakhstan and the Damu Fund — and promotes industrial diversification. A performance report presented in late 2025 reported substantial profit on a multi-trillion balance sheet, with the Development Bank financing 31 investment projects and 24 export operations, the Damu Fund supporting SMEs through loans, subsidies and guarantees, and the Export Credit Agency backing more than one hundred exporters.

285bn Tenge net profit · 9M 2025
16.9tn Tenge total assets
1.5tn Tenge SME support · Damu Fund
108 Exporters supported by ECA
02 Critical-Mineral Processing Finance

Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK)

In October 2025, Baiterek’s subsidiary DBK launched a US$1 billion financing programme for the extraction and processing of rare-earth and critical materials. Running from 2025 to 2030, the programme supports medium and large enterprises building processing facilities — reflecting Kazakhstan’s decisive move from raw-ore exports to high-value production. It offers loans of at least 5 billion tenge for up to 20 years, with no arrangement fees and grace periods. Eligible materials include lanthanides, scandium, yttrium, lithium, cobalt, tungsten, germanium, gallium and graphite, with reserves certified under the JORC code.

US$1bn Financing programme
2025–30 Programme horizon
20yr Maximum loan tenor
JORC Certified reserves required
03 Downstream Gold Processing

Solidcore Resources

Solidcore is investing heavily in downstream processing. Its Ertis POX plant will require approximately US$978 million and is designed to process 300,000 tonnes of gold concentrate annually, producing up to 500,000 ounces of gold and creating more than 500 jobs. The company has signed a social memorandum to invest around 900 million tenge in community projects across Pavlodar region and plans to launch Kazakhstan’s first full-cycle gold-bearing concentrates facility by 2028.

US$978m Ertis POX plant
300k tpa Gold concentrate
500k oz Annual gold output
500+ New jobs created
04 — 12

Supporting projects

Copper · Tungsten · Graphite · Lithium · Exploration
04 Tungsten JV

Cove Capital & Tau-Ken Samruk

U.S.-backed Cove Capital will own 70% of a joint venture developing the Northern Katpar and Upper Kayrakty deposits, holding more than 10% of global tungsten reserves. Mine construction is expected within two years, with production starting in 3.5 years and refining carried out in Kazakhstan.

US$1.1bn Project cost US$900m US EXIM letter of interest 70% JV ownership
05 Copper

China Nonferrous Metal Mining (CNMC)

In December 2025, the state-owned group raised its stake in SM Minerals Ltd. to 70% and announced plans to invest in the North and South Benkala copper deposits in Kazakhstan’s Aktobe region. A two-year construction programme will deliver a mine producing 45,000 tonnes of copper concentrate annually.

US$600m Investment plan 1.5Mt Cu resources @ 0.4% 2028–29 First production
06 Copper Exploration

Ivanhoe Mines & Pallas Resources

In 2025, Ivanhoe Mines and Pallas Resources formed a joint venture covering a 16,000 km² licence package in the Chu-Sarysu Basin — the world’s third-largest sediment-hosted copper basin. The partners launched a 15,000 m diamond drill campaign and initial fieldwork discovered outcropping copper mineralisation.

16,000km² Licence area 25Mt Cu undiscovered est.
07 Copper-Gold

Arras Minerals

After ending its strategic alliance with Teck Resources, Arras continues to advance its Elemes project in Pavlodar. Teck-funded exploration produced three new porphyry discoveries along a 54 km trend parallel to the Bozshakol mine. Arras will advance drilling and follow up on geochemical anomalies.

54km Porphyry trend 3 New discoveries
08 Copper

East Star Resources

East Star leveraged Kazakhstan’s liberal licensing regime to build a database of Soviet-era geological data. The company secured US$5 million from Endeavour Mining, with an option for another US$20 million, and brought in Xinhai Mining Services to fund development of the Verkhuba deposit while retaining a 30% interest.

20Mt @ 1.2% Cu 2027–28 Target production
09 Battery-Grade Graphite

Sarytogan Graphite

The Sarytogan project in Karaganda province hosts a 225 Mt resource grading 29.2% total graphite carbon and a probable reserve of 8.6 Mt at 30% TGC. A pre-feasibility study selected a 50,000 tpa plant; financing from Kazakh investor Dias Sarsenov and the EBRD will fund the definitive feasibility study.

225Mt @ 29.2% TGC 50k tpa Selected plant
10 Lithium

Dala Resources

Dala Resources is a privately owned Kazakh company exploring two adjacent LCT pegmatites — Kene and Bayash — in the Kalba-Narym-Burchum belt. The lithium zones contain up to 80% spodumene, and the company expanded its licence position with a third licence for Kene North in August 2025.

80% Spodumene content 3 Licences held
11 Exploration Pipeline

Central Asia Metals (CAML)

The AIM-listed producer, known for its Kounrad dump-leach copper operation, has included 5,500 m of drill testing across two or three projects in Kazakhstan in its 2026 exploration programme — signalling a clear intention to identify new base-metal deposits.

5,500m 2026 drill programme 2–3 Active projects
12 Large-Scale Copper Operations

KAZ Minerals

One of Kazakhstan’s largest copper producers, KAZ Minerals operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open-pit mines and produced 370,000 tonnes of copper in 2025. The company continues to explore expansions and participates in the forum to share insights into operating large-scale mines under the new tax regime.

370kt Copper produced 2025 2 Open-pit operations Aktogay · Bozshakol Flagship mines
Strategic Perspective

Narrative Power: Why It Matters

An important insight from recent media analysis presented by Nightingale Int. on Day 1 of the Forum demonstrated that Kazakhstan is still missing a coherent external narrative around its mineral sector.

01 · Media Analysis

Textual network analysis of critical-minerals coverage in influential outlets reveals that Pakistan consistently links itself with words such as “need”, “investment”, “US”, “strategy” and “security”. In contrast, Kazakhstan and its neighbours rarely appear as protagonists; when they do, it is usually in discussions of Chinese dominance rather than as authors of their own story.

02 · Real Consequences

This narrative vacuum has real consequences. China imports 70% of Central Asia’s critical minerals and holds the majority of mining permits in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Despite multiple memoranda of understanding with the United States and European Union, only a handful of Western projects have materialised. Investors need more than government-to-government agreements; they need a clear, externally directed message about why Kazakhstan is a commercially rational choice.

Narrative precedes capital.
Editorial Insight · MINEX Kazakhstan 2026

A well-crafted story — one that articulates what Kazakhstan offers, what it seeks and how partners can benefit — can bridge the gap between intent and execution.

Forum Visual Diary

Inside the Forum

MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Forum atmosphere, slide 1
01 / 10 Strategy session 01
MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Forum atmosphere, slide 2
02 / 10 Audience
MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Forum atmosphere, slide 3
03 / 10 Investment dialogue
MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Forum atmosphere, slide 4
04 / 10 Exhibitor zone
MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Forum atmosphere, slide 5
05 / 10 Pitch session
MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Forum atmosphere, slide 6
06 / 10 Networking floor
MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Forum atmosphere, slide 7
07 / 10 Diplomatic round table
MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Forum atmosphere, slide 8
08 / 10 Exhibitor zone
MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Forum atmosphere, slide 9
09 / 10 Awards ceremony
MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 — Forum atmosphere, slide 10
10 / 10 Gala dinner
Strategic Continuation

Beyond Words: Bridging the Execution Gap

Speakers at MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 did not simply discuss geology; they addressed the “execution gap” that had historically plagued Western engagement in the region. Bankers and policymakers emphasised the importance of public-risk guarantees, co-financing, and offtake-backed instruments. They highlighted the critical need to involve end-users — such as automakers, electronics companies, and battery manufacturers — whose long-term contracts could successfully underwrite major investments.

Kazakh officials, for their part, insisted that partners must invest in domestic processing, transfer technology, and deliver tangible socio-economic benefits in exchange for favourable tax rates and legal stability. This reciprocal approach mirrored wider global trends toward resource sovereignty and suggested that Kazakhstan was adapting quickly to the demands of the new industrial age.