Natural resources of Pakistan

[Husnainshah]

And regarding the problem part, its upon govt to pump in more and more resources to tap these reserves. The coal mining, the cement factories, marble factories etc are mostly run and has been established by private sector.Govt has given its patronage to Oil and Gas area and that too majority of exploration is done by MOL and share of OGDCL is less as compare to it.Still we have presence of OGCL exploration teams in Lachi near Kohat area as sort of HQ.

I'm sure there's a reason Government won't pump in more and more resources. Would you be aware of it?
Could it be due to average quality of minerals like that of Thar?

"Reko Diq’s annual production is estimated at 200,000 tons of copper and 250,000 ounces of gold from 600,000 tons of concentrate. At today’s international prices, the profit worked out by Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) is about $1.14 billion for copper and $2.5 billion for gold, totaling $3.64 billion approximately annually. The TCC’s calculation of a $200 billion-plus profit over the 55-year life of the mine is disputed, higher estimates ranging up to $450-500 billion."

So apart from legal obstacles all is in place? Also what would be TCC's share in Reko Diq?

The northern areas of Pakistan have been blessed with an abundance amount of resources. Currently Pakistan exports roughly $200-300 million worth of gems annually which is pathetic, because we have the 5th largest deposits of gems in the world.The cutting technique is primitive, thus Pakistani value added gems have no market internationally since standards are below par on industry requirements. Second the extraction process conducted by miners is through explosives, which damages 70% of gems because they have structural cracks making the product essentially worthless. Unfortunately none of the major players in Pakistan have marketed our gems properly in the international market.

What needs to happen is that private investors should open a small lapidary unit in Peshawar and install high-tech semi automatic faceting machines to cut the gems. Furthermore, even with this machine a person still has to hire an expert in understanding what shape should the gem should be faceted into and how the light needs to reflect across the gem to bring maximum shine. A person can make alot of money in this game, just need to use common sense and sound practices.

Very informative post. Thanks.

is it not in the interest of corrupt elite to exploit the natural resource so that they can get their cut?

Kindly don't engage in such arguments. The response could easily be 'cause India, Israel or God knows who else is paying 'em more to not tap the resources. I didn't say avoid one-liners for no reason.

we have no infrastructure to mine in Baluchistan and northern areas, few road which are not enough for heavy traffic and no rail system. It would take billions to setup infrastructure that supports the extraction of resources.

That's interesting. Do you think the required infrastructure would be achieved in CPEC?

I have only been to reko diq mines .. But what I say there was very encouraging . On the stones you could literally see gold particles.. I bought back a few stones with the glittery particles.. So yeah.. Atleast Reko Diq mines got Gold.

Coal yes from what I heard it's not of high quality but it could be used for power generation. indians are using the same quality on their side..

Reko Diq project seems impressive and feasible. And why hasn't it been used for power generation thus far?
Has it something to do with insufficient infrastructure? 'Cause I have friends from Thar region tell me that Sindh Government has heavily invested on roads in Thar in last 8-9 years.

 

[Lavrentiy]

All this age-old rhetoric of resource-rich Pakistan is just EGO-INFLATING exercise for PUBLIC CONSUMPTION.

P.S. The amount of resources matter less than resource mobilization.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

I'm sure there's a reason Government won't pump in more and more resources. Would you be aware of it?
Could it be due to average quality of minerals like that of Thar?




So apart from legal obstacles all is in place? Also what would be TCC's share in Reko Diq?



Very informative post. Thanks.



Kindly don't engage in such arguments. The response could easily be 'cause India, Israel or God knows who else is paying 'em more to not tap the resources. I didn't say avoid one-liners for no reason.



That's interesting. Do you think the required infrastructure would be achieved in CPEC?



Reko Diq project seems impressive and feasible. And why hasn't it been used for power generation thus far?
Has it something to do with insufficient infrastructure? 'Cause I have friends from Thar region tell me that Sindh Government has heavily invested on roads in Thar in last 8-9 years.

Reko Diq = Gold mines

 

[Lavrentiy]

Why Isnt Reko Dik being mined, it would change the course of the country on its own and should be a top priority.
We should start small and do it on our own but start at least. I seriously doubt that its worth $ trillion though, probably more like $300 billion.

You think that copper mining is child's play? Those foreign companies, which Marxist-Socialists hate, have decades of experience, technology and human resource which we utterly lack.

I know it doesn't sound good but WE cannot do it on our own.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

It was given to a Canadian company ..
Another scandal .. Bribes and Kixkbacks involved the court gave a decision against it and now the issue is stuck..


We can't dig em .. Coz we don't have the tech to dig it ourself...

 

[Lavrentiy]

People in Pakistan are extremely naïve.

I know about this Riko Diq issue. People have an UNREALISTIC EXPECTATION that a foreign company should invest money, assume all business risk and then HAND OVER the extracted COPPER/GOLD on a platter to the PEOPLE of Pakistan.

This is not how mining industry works. In the REAL WORLD, governments get taxes, royalties or some part of the profits (25% or even less; maybe 0%). The extracted mineral would go to the company. The local community gets JOB OPPORTUNITIES.

 

[Mr.Nair]

What about Marble and Granite industry in Pakistan?

 

[Orakzai]

Do you even know what you're talking about?
Do you even know the technology required to extract minerals deep within the ground?
It's either very expensive to extract natural resources or it takes toouch time. We are talking decades and trillions.

If it was just 50 billion, every company would be going ham in Afghanistan right now. China loves investing in high risk countries, look at investment in Africa by them.

Maybe it'd cost $50 billion in a couple hundred years buddy boy. Right now there's simply insufficient technology to extract their resources at a good cost-benefit ratio.

mate do you even know what a billion $ is??
$50 billion is hell lot of money.
india's whole bloody economy is $2.3 trillion and you are telling us that they would need that much money just only to extract 1$ trillion worth of minerals from Afghanistan?

 

[vitalsign]

Pakistan have the largest Salt Mine.

 

[Faiez]

mate do you even know what a billion $ is??
$50 billion is hell lot of money.
india's whole bloody economy is $2.3 trillion and you are telling us that they would need that much money just only to extract 1$ trillion worth of minerals from Afghanistan?

There are operating costs of a mine as well. It's not like you spend 1 billion on a rig and then it digs on its own for free for ever.

So if a reserve is worth 1 trillion at today's prices, it may cost $500 billion in total to extract that $1 trillion worth of minerals/ore. Also, a $ 1 trillion mine is not exploited in just a year. Such a mine runs for decades. So comparing 1 year output of a country with an entire reserve that will be exploited over decades is not fair.

 

[xyxmt]

That's interesting. Do you think the required infrastructure would be achieved in CPEC?

to a certain extent, At least Baluchistan is getting connected with the world. People crying foul on previous mining contracts that mining company is taking too much without any consideration to to how much they will have to develop before they start mining.

 

[Orakzai]

There are operating costs of a mine as well. It's not like you spend 1 billion on a rig and then it digs on its own for free for ever.

So if a reserve is worth 1 trillion at today's prices, it may cost $500 billion in total to extract that $1 trillion worth of minerals/ore. Also, a $ 1 trillion mine is not exploited in just a year. Such a mine runs for decades. So comparing 1 year output of a country with an entire reserve that will be exploited over decades is not fair.

mate i know all this but do you even have any clue how much $2 trillion are?? like i mean seriously? this guy has stated that it would take $2 trillion to dig out $1 trillion worth of minerals? is that even logical?

 

[Icewolf]

mate do you even know what a billion $ is??
$50 billion is hell lot of money.
india's whole bloody economy is $2.3 trillion and you are telling us that they would need that much money just only to extract 1$ trillion worth of minerals from Afghanistan?

why are some people so stupid

 

[The_Sidewinder]

Biggest natural resource possesed by pakistan is its human resource. If Pakistani awam can let go their differences and start working for welfare of their own country, Pakistan will achieve everything possible. First start building a stronger economy, everything else will fall in place after that.

 

[Orakzai]

why are some people so stupid

get your head out of your shit and things will be more clearer. stupidity is visible from every word you had written up there in that comment of yours.