November 13, 2023, Brussels - This week, within the framework of the annual event the Raw Materials Week 2023, organized by the European Commission in Brussels, JSC National Geological Survey of Kazakhstan and Xcalibur Multiphysics Group announced a strategic partnership in the field of mapping natural resources, signing a Memorandum of Understanding.
The event was attended by high-ranking officials of the Government of Kazakhstan and the European Union, including Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan Sharlapaev Kanat Bisimbaevich and Vice-President of the European Commission Maros Shevchovich.
The subject of the memorandum signed between JSC National Geological Survey and Xcalibur Multiphysics Group is the establishment of partnerships and the development of long-term, effective and mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of mapping and searching for natural resources using advanced methods of aerogeophysical surveying. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding is an important step towards unlocking the significant potential of Kazakhstan's natural resources, including the potential of critical metals and groundwater.
Also, international experience proves that aerogeophysical mapping is an effective tool for attracting investments in exploration, especially when such work is carried out on a regional scale. The availability of modern, high-quality and affordable geophysical knowledge in the country is one of the key aspects when making an investment decision in the field of subsurface use and mineral exploration.
Xcalibur Multiphysics is the most experienced company performing regional country aerogeophysical mapping. The company's customers are the governments of such countries as Australia, the USA, Canada, India, Japan, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saudi Arabia, etc. Currently, the company is implementing 12 regional mapping projects around the world.
Combining the experience and knowledge of regional geology of the National Geological Survey of Kazakhstan, as well as the expertise and advanced aerogeophysical technologies of Xcalibur Multiphysics, we believe that this partnership will lead to significant results and achieve the strategic goal of replenishing the mineral resource base of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
November 16, 2023, Astana — the International Forum "KAZCONTAINMENT 2.0" was held, which brought together more than 2,000 participants and was marked by the participation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Smailov Alikhan Askhanovich. The Forum served as a platform for discussing initiatives to support domestic producers and reorientation of subsurface user enterprises to develop domestic value.
Andres Blanco, CEO of Xcalibur Multiphysics Group, and Kaysar Kozhamuratov, CEO of Aurora Minerals Group, were invited to this event as a speaker of the plenary session.
In his speech at the plenary session, Mr. Andres Blanco emphasized the company's strategic commitment to the development of local content in Kazakhstan. Andres Blanco noted not only the importance of training and development of local personnel, but also presented specific details of ongoing trainings for geophysicists, operators, pilots, data processors and interpreters. Equally important is that at Xcalibur Kazakhstan, professional development takes place in real conditions, on projects for aerogeophysical research.
Xcalibur Kazakhstan is the Central Asian hub of the Xcalibur Multiphysics group. The Kazakh company, in turn, will export aerogeophysical services to the countries of Central Asia, as well as to foreign regions such as India, Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa. The culmination of the Kazakhstan-Produced 2.0 Forum for Xcalibur Multiphysics was a meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Smailov Alikhan Askhanovich. The meeting discussed the prospects of regional aerogeophysics as a key tool in the development and development of natural resources. The company shared its experience in the use of aerogeophysics data to improve the efficiency of exploration and attract investments in the search and mapping of minerals.
The participants of the meeting reviewed the successful experience of the Geological Survey of Australia, which introduced the systematic collection of regional aerogeophysical data. In 2016, the "Explore for the Future" program was launched with a total cost of 225 million US dollars. In four years of research, from 2016 to 2020, the Geological Survey managed to cover more than 3 million square kilometers of Australia's territory.
According to an independent assessment by Deloitte, the impact of this program on the Australian economy has been impressive. Between 2021 and 2022, the use of the data generated contributed to a $76 billion increase in the country's GDP and supported more than 80,000 jobs nationwide.