Preliminary Non-Fuel Mineral Resource Assessment of Afghanistan‎

U.S. Geological Survey  Report 2007-1214‎

Afghanistan has abundant mineral resources, including known deposits of copper, iron, ‎barite, sulfur, talc, chromium, magnesium, salt, mica, marble, rubies, emerald, lapis lazuli, ‎asbestos, nickel, mercury, gold and silver, lead, zinc, fluorspar, bauxite, beryllium, and ‎lithium. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Afghanistan Geological Survey (AGS)  ‎estimated numbers of undiscovered deposits in Afghanistan by using a geology-based ‎assessment method. Estimates of known and undiscovered copper resources total nearly ‎‎60 million metric tons of copper. Resources for iron in known deposits are more than ‎‎2,200 million metric tons of iron ore. In this assessment, teams of scientists compiled ‎information about known mineral deposits and evaluated the possible occurrence of ‎undiscovered deposits of all types. Quantitative probabilistic estimated were made for ‎undiscovered deposits of copper, mercury, rare-earth elements, sulfur, chromite, asbestos, ‎potash, graphite, and sand and grovel at depths less than 1 Kilometer. Other deposit types ‎also were considered and are contained in the report.‎

The complete version of the Preliminary Non-Fuel Mineral Resource Assessment of ‎Afghanistan‎ is available  online as PDf files. ‎

• Summary (PDF – 164 KB, 9 pages)‎

• ‎1.0 Introduction (PDF – 920 KB, 20 pages)‎

• ‎2.0 Deposits related to mafic igneous rocks (PDF — 4,582 KB, 74 pages)‎

• ‎3.0 Deposits related to alkaline intrusions (PDF — 582 KB, 14 pages)‎

• ‎4.0 Deposits related to felsic phanerocrystalline intrusive rocks (PDF — 1,549 ‎KB, 23 pages)‎

• ‎5.0 Deposits related to felsic to intermediate porphyritic igneous rocks (PDF – ‎‎10,585 KB, 79 pages)‎

• ‎6.0 Deposits related to subaerial felsic to intermediate extrusive rocks ‎‎(PDF — 4,895 KB, 66 pages)‎

• ‎7.0 Deposits associated with sedimentary processes or rocks (PDF – 4,628 KB, ‎‎70 pages)‎

• ‎8.0 Chemical-sedimentary deposits (PDF — 5,181 KB, 76 pages)‎

• ‎9.0 Deposits related to regionally metamorphosed rocks (PDF — 3,059 KB, ‎‎42 pages)‎

• ‎10.0 Deposits related to surficial processes and unconformities. (PDF — ‎‎10,941 KB, 215 pages)‎

• ‎11.0 Dimension Stone (PDF — 1,370 KB, 26 pages)‎

• ‎12.0 Precious and semi-precious stones (PDF — 1,001 KB, 17 pages)‎

• ‎13.0 General References (PDF — 418 KB, 91 pages)‎

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