The Kastek field is administratively located in the Zhambyl district of the Almaty region . Regional center Uzun-Agach is located 65 km from the field, and the city of Almaty is 125 km away.
The southern area is reportedly a known lithium area with REE associated, WAI observed the host rock as a Diorite porphyry with granosyenite dykes, and potentially monazite mineralization present. The Li grade is reportedly 148 g/t as assayed from trenching, with trench K14 reportedly containing a 28m zone of elevated Li content from 0.0556% to 0.1258%.
Inferred resources of gold of category P1 for the Kastek ore field are taken as 4.33 tons, with an average grade of 0.45 g/ton and ore 9,622 thousand tons to a depth of 60 meters (2011).
- Polymetallic ore formation is present in the Central and South-East area of the Kastek field forming ore bodies 500m along strike and 220m in width.
- Ore bodies are localised in zones of hydrothermally altered rocks.
- Mineralisation is controlled by pyritization, shearing and brecciation zones.
Estimation of the predicted resources of rare earths in the territory of the Kastek ore field is carried out only on the basis of mineralogical descriptions of the presence of rare earths in the polished sections of ores of all areas of the ore field (West, North, Central, South), as well as in vein lead-zinc and pyrite-polymetallic geological-industrial types (no chemical analyzes).
The minimal content of rare earths in the ore is 0.1%. (Cut-off grade at the Kutesay-II field).
Expected resources of rare earths σ 𝑇𝑇 = 30.0 thousand tons.
The given forecast estimate allows us to consider the Kastek ore field as an object with gold-silver-rare-earth-lead-zinc ores, the economic assessment of which can be carried out according to the data of the projected exploration and technological testing of ores.