Mineral resources

The province possesses rich minerals and raw materials resources. Minerals and raw materials resources of the province are described with availability of such fields as Muruntau gold-bearing field, silica sand fields (of more than 1.5 billion tons), deposits of granite (1.9 billion cubic meters) and marble (420.0 million cubic meters) as well as phosphorites (1.5 billion tons), precious and rare-earth metals, bentonitic clay, basalts, kaolin rocks, limestones, dolomites, wollastonites and feldspar.

One of the most important types of non-metallic raw materials is silica sands. Jeroy, Aydaly and Kulatay silica fields are most thoroughly explored.

There are detected more than 50 occurrences of kaolin rocks on the territory of the Central Kyzylkums; kaolin rock deposits constitute 240.8 thousand tons for a given average yield of 35%. Kaolin concentrate is used for production of low-grade ceramics as well as in refractory industry and coarse ceramics.

Deposits of slate coal, dolomitic limestones are explored in the province; extraction of feldspar in Lyangar field which deposits constitute 9.2 million tons is made. There are also a Lyavlyakan salt field located in Kanimekh district and a Tuzkuduk salt field in Uchkuduk district.

Limestones reserves constitute 43.3 million tons according to Categories А+В+С₁ and 2.2 million tons according Category С₂ in the province.

Such fields of building semi-precious stones such as Gazgan and Nurata marble fields, Lyangar and Karasoy granite and gabbro fields, Azlartal and Karasoy fields of granite for facing materials and wollastonites fields are in the province.

Phosphorites fields such as Jeroy-Sardar, Janakhmet and Tashkura stand out with high content of Р₂О₅.

Main basalts field is Aydarkul in the province, one section of which has been explored and its deposits are estimated in amount of 1.9 million cubic meters.