The Nikkei reports that the Mes Aynak copper-mining project in Afghanistan is being restarted by the Taliban and its Chinese partner after a delay of more than 16 years.

Aynak is the largest known copper deposit in Afghanistan, with indicated resources of 240 Mt grading 2.3% Cu placing it in the ‘giant’ category, according to a 2020 study published in International Geology Review. The Taliban government estimates that the site could yield 2.5 million tons of copper per year that would bring in revenue of $300 million to $400 million.

However, the Nikkei report noted, critics worry that a lack of independent supervision could lead to widespread pollution and the destruction of historical ruins and relics uncovered at the Mes Aynak site.

Three years after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, the government still isn't widely recognized and the economy is faltering. World Bank figures show a 26% contraction in the real economy in the two years to April 2024. As such, the Taliban views the Mes Aynak project, contracted to state-owned China Metallurgical Group Corp. (MCC) since 2007, as a crucial.

In late July, both sides broke ground on the site to begin the construction of a road.

Resources

• Waizy, H., Moles, N. R., Smith, M. P., & Boyce, A. J. (2020). Formation of the giant Aynak copper deposit, Afghanistan: evidence from mineralogy, lithogeochemistry and sulphur isotopes. International Geology Review, 63(17), 2104–2128. doi: 10.1080/00206814.2020.1824129

• “Summary of the Aynak Copper, Cobalt, and Chromium Area of Interest” USGS