DISCOVERY VENTURES
KAZAKHSTAN
LTD
About Kazakhstan
01 / INVITING
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Central Asia’s largest economy with long history of mining operations.
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Newly overhauled mining code with first-come-first-serve system modeled on Western Australia.
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Astana International Finance Centre – legal jurisdiction based on English Common Law.
02 / UNTAPPED
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High quality regional data. significant greenfields exploration since the 1980s.
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Large areas of prospective ground in known mineral provinces remain unpegged.
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Moody’s Rating Baa3 Stable.
03 / SECURE
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Ranked 25th by World Bank for Ease of Doing Business (2019).
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The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative has been implemented since 2005.
INFRASTRUCTURE
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In the heart of ‘One-Belt-One-Road’.
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Existing rail and road provides cheap and easy access to processing facilities and export markets.
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European Bank for Regional Development (EBRD) has invested more than €8Bn in Kazakhstan, including:
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US$350M loan for Tau-Ken Samruk’s Shalkiya zinc mine;
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US$140M to Polymetal to develop the Kyzyl (Bakyrchik) gold deposit.
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OPPORTUNITY
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Several significant discoveries to 1980 with limited exploration since then.
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Low utilisation of geophysics, with few discoveries under cover.
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Kazakhstan has only become open to new exploration applications and made data available to investors in recent years.
Our Portfolio
Chu-Ili Project
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704km2 in two licenses
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High grade orogenic gold
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Limited exploration
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Targeting 1Moz+ in high grade vein systems
INFRASTRUCTURE
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Flat lying area with limited vegetation. No environmental show stoppers.
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Regional settlements provide basic infrastructure and labour.
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Main rail and power lines cross region to the east.
Rudny Altai Projects
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706km2 in two licenses
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High grade Cu, Zn Au VMS belt
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Under-explored beneath thin alluvial cover
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Famous VMS belt hosting several world class mines including Glencore’s Kazzinc Ridder mine (125 Mt @ 0.3% Cu, 4% Zn, 2% Pb, 2.5 g/t Au and 10.8 g/t Ag).
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Total endowment of ~1,000 Mt in 58 deposits.
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Existing transport and processing infrastructure lower development hurdles.
TEAM
ALEX WALKER
(Founder and Managing Director)
Investment banker and resources executive with more than 15 years in natural resources investment with Norwegian Bank, Pareto Securities, London-based investment bank, Brandon Hill Capital and Australian broking firm Patersons Securities. Alex co-founded and was the General Manager of ScandiVanadium Ltd, taking the Company from concept through an ASX listing and establishing a JORC resource of >1Bn lbs of contained vanadium pentoxide.
Alex holds a MSc in Mineral and Energy Economics, GDip App Fin, BComm, BSocSci, and GAICD.
VLADIMIR KROUPNIK
(Advisor)
Highly experienced mine geologist, operating in Kazakhstan since 1996. Since May 2014 Vladimir has acted as Principal Geologist for Altynalmas, Kazakhstan’s largest privately owned gold producer and owner of the 6Moz Akbakay project on the Chu-Ili ore belt. Prior to this he was the Head of Mine Planning and Resource Modelling for Kazakhmys Corporation, at the time London's largest listed Copper producer, (~300ktpa). Vladimir was also a senior mine geologist at some of Australia’s most iconic gold mines including Minjar, Big Bell and Lawlers (Homestake/Plutonic).
Vladimir holds a Bachelor degree and numerous qualifications relating to mineral and mine modelling.
MELVIN YEO
(Founder and Commercial Adviser)
Commercial Lawyer and entrepreneur with more than 20 years experience in the start-up space, an ASX20 company and a top-tier Australian law firm. Involved in numerous corporate transactions in the capacities of principal/director or lead/sole counsel with deal values ranging from $1 million to over $1 billion, including many cross-border transactions. Melvin has co-founded a number of mineral exploration companies in Africa, Latin America, Central Asia and Europe, some of which have become listed in Australia and Canada.
Melvin is a Barrister & Solicitor of the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of Western Australia and holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons), GDip App Fin, and GAICD
VOLODYMYR (VLAD) BUCHYNSKYY
(Consultant Exploration Manager)
Volodymyr is one of the most senior and experienced exploration geologists operating in Kazakhstan. His most recent role was as Regional Exploration Manager of Freeport-McMoRan Exploration Corporation Eurasia where he planned and executed of all aspects of FMEC’s Cu & Au exploration programs. Prior to this he was the General Director of Kazakhmys Exploration, the leading copper and gold producer in Kazakhstan, where he coordinated multimillion dollar exploration budgets. Before that he was the Program Leader and Country Manager for BHP Billiton, Kazakhstan.
Volodymyr holds a M.Sc. in Geology, Bachelor of Project Management and is a Professional Geoscientist of the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia in Canada.
DR RAINER ELLMIES
(Founder and Technical Advisor)
Rainer has 30 years of senior and managerial roles in academia and in the exploration industry. He successfully developed exploration concepts and implemented exploration programs for complex deposits across a wide range of commodities. His conceptual thinking has led to a number of significant discoveries including the largest cobalt deposit outside of the DRC. Rainer currently runs the mining division of a Family Office with several operating mines and exploration projects in southern Africa as well as the in-country management of TSX and ASX listed companies in the region.
Rainer holds a PhD (Metallogeny of the Western Uralian Province), MSc in Geology, BSc Geology, Prospecting and Exploration, Proficiency Certification III Russian Language.
AZAMAT BIZHANOV
(Consultant Principal Geologist)
Azamat is an exploration and resource geologist with more than ten years experience. Previously he served as the Kazakhstan Exploration Manager for Freeport-McMoran where he was involved in identifying and evaluating porphyry copper opportunities in Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Azamat has a successful background in the execution of both greenfield and brownfield exploration programs in Kazakhstan – in particular he was involved in the implementation of geological and resource modeling at the largest uranium project in South Kazakhstan.
Azamat is a Registered Professional Geoscientist and a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists.
Right Time
To invest in Kazakhstan
Right Assets
Mineral rich regions, drastically underexplored
Right Team
Funding success, discovery history, deal and execution experience
GET IN TOUCH
Mangilik Yel 55/22, Block C4.3, office 140, Z05T3F5, Nur-Sultan, Republic of Kazakhstan