After a fifteen-year hiatus, the Mes Aynak copper mine operations are set to commence, as confirmed by the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.
Official Announcement from the Ministry
Kabul 24: Homayoun Afghan, the ministry’s spokesman, announced on X that practical work on the mines will resume by the end of the current week. However, he did not provide additional details regarding the specifics of the resumption.
Commitment from the Contracted Company
Afghan stated that the contracted company is obligated to initiate operations at this significant copper mine in accordance with commitments made in 2008.
Economic Implications
The Ministry previously estimated that the Mes Aynak site in Logar holds over 11.5 million tons of copper. The Chamber of Industries and Mines indicated that the resumption of extraction could create thousands of job opportunities.
Significance of the Mes Aynak Mine
Located 40 kilometers southeast of Kabul, the Mes Aynak mine contains the world’s second-largest copper reserve, representing a major source of Afghanistan’s natural wealth.
The extraction contract, signed with the Chinese company MCC, spans 30 years but has faced delays due to the discovery of ancient artifacts in the area during the previous government.
