Chinese investor finds 4 tonnes of gold in Karakalpakstan

September 19, 2026 at 04:30 PM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

A Chinese investor has identified a 4-tonne gold reserve at the Urusay deposit in Karakalpakstan after investing $33 million. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the discovery at a meeting in Nukus and ordered the creation of a gold mining and processing cluster with 1,000 jobs within a month.

Key Facts

The Chinese investor invested $33 million in the Urusay deposit in Karauzyak district, Karakalpakstan.
The identified gold reserve is 4 tonnes across 200 hectares.
The deposit has already created 320 jobs.
President Mirziyoyev ordered the creation of a gold mining and processing cluster with 1,000 jobs within one month.
Geological work has covered only 20 percent of Karakalpakstan's territory.

Gold Discovery

A Chinese investor identified a 4-tonne gold reserve at the Urusay deposit in Karauzyak district, Karakalpakstan, after investing $33 million. The reserve was identified across 200 hectares. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the discovery at a meeting on socio-economic development in Nukus. The deposit has already created 320 jobs.

Presidential Directives

Mirziyoyev ordered the resolution of investor issues within one month. He instructed the creation of a gold mining and processing cluster with 1,000 jobs. He also ordered the development of a comprehensive geological exploration program and a re-evaluation of regional deposit reserves. Mirziyoyev noted that geological work has covered only 20 percent of Karakalpakstan's territory.

Other Regional Projects

A German company invested $30 million in a quartzite deposit in Beruniy district. The company plans to produce crystalline silicon with annual exports of $25 million. One tonne of crystalline silicon costs $5,500 on the world market. The Borsa Kelmas deposit in Kungrad district annually sells one million tonnes of technical salt without processing. The Kuskana Tau deposit in Bozatau district can process mirabilite to produce 45,000 tonnes of sodium sulfate per year.