U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2011–3108

September 2011

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, and the Afghanistan Geological Survey

Summaries and Data Packages of Important Areas for Mineral 

Investment and Production Opportunities in Afghanistan

Printed on recycled paper

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) of the Department of the 

Interior and the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations 

(TFBSO) of the Department of Defense entered into an agreement to 

study and assess the fuel and nonfuel mineral resources of Afghanistan 

from October 2009 through September 2011. The work resulted in a 

report that summarizes new results and interpretations on 24 important 

Areas of Interest (AOIs) of nonfuel mineral resources that were 

identifi ed for mineral investment and production opportunities in 

Afghanistan (Peters and others, 2011). The report is supported by 

digital data in the form of geographic information system (GIS) 

databases and by archival and non-USGS reports on each AOI. The 

data packages contain from 20 to 50 digital layers of data, such as 

geology, geophysics, and hyperspectral and remotely sensed imagery. 

Existing reports and maps are mainly from the Afghanistan Geological 

Survey (AG S) archive and are Soviet-era (1960s and 1970s) reports. 

These data are available from the AGS Data Center in Kabul 

(http://mom.gov.af/en; http://www.bgs.ac.uk/afghanminerals/) and 

also are available for viewing and download from the USGS public 

Web site (http://afghanistan.cr.usgs.gov/) and from a separate viewer 

at http://mapdss2.er.usgs.gov. 

The U.S. Geological Survey released new reports, interpretations, and extensive digital data for 24 mineral Areas of Interest in Afghanistan. These Areas of Interest contain known deposits and prospects of copper, iron, gold, rare earth elements, and other commodities. 

Many of the mineral deposits are of world-class size and tenor. These new U.S. Geological Survey data packages and reports constitute 

Information Packages that will help reduce the risk to investors and developers. The Information Packages are designed to be used by the 

Afghanistan Ministry of Mines in the bidding process and the procedures for the commercial development of these areas. The extraction 

of Afghanistan’s abundant mineral resources is considered critical for creating economic growth, employment, and security. 

Figure 1. Map of Afghanistan showing the 24 Areas of Interest (AOIs) identified by the USGS and the locations where mineral data and 

information were compiled and activities were planned or implemented between 2009 and 2011 for public release.

China

Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan

Tajikistan

Tajikistan

Uzbekistan

Turkmenistan

Iran

Iran

HERAT

FARAH

HELMAND

GHOR

NIMROZ

KANDAHAR

BADAKHSHAN

URUZGAN

DAYKUNDI

GHAZNI

ZABUL

FARYAB

BALKH

PAKTIKA

BADGHIS

BAGHLAN SAR-E- PUL

BAMYAN

TAKHAR

JAWZJAN

PARWAN

PANJSHER

WARDAK

SAMANGAN

KUNDUZ

NURISTAN

PAKTYA

KUNAR

KABUL

NANGARHAR

KHOST

LOGAR

LAGHMAN

KAPISA

Katawas

Gold

Haji-Gak Iron

Daykundi

(Uruzgan)

Tin and tungsten

Bakhud

Fluorite

Zarkashan

Copper and

gold

Tourmaline

Tin

Chaigai Hills Travertine,

copper and gold

Badakhshan 

Lode Gold Takhar

Gold

Placer

Takhar Evaporites Kunduz Celestite

Baghlan Clay

and gypsum

Dudkash

Industrial

minerals

Herat

Barium and limestone

Dusar-Shaida

Copper and tin

Khanneshin

Carbonatite, rare

earths and uranium

Nalbandon

Lead and zinc

Kharnak-Khanjar 

Mercury

Aynak

Copper, chromite

and cobalt

Ghunday Achin

Magnesite and talc

Balkhab

Copper

Panjsher Valley

Emeralds and silver

Kundalan

Copper and

gold

Nuristan Pegmatites

(gems, lithium

and cesium) 

Airborne geophysics and compilation

AGS active project and compilation

USGS special project and compilation

Lithuanian project area

Inactive projects (compilation only)

Industrial mineral project area

Oil and gas project area

Cement plants and quarries

EXPLANATION

50 0 50 100 150 200 250 KILOMETERS

60

38

36

34

32

30

64 68 72
Afghanistan has abundant mineral resources, but modern 

technical data and information are necessary if they are to be 

developed successfully. Previous mineral-resource studies from 

the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its Eastern 

European allies provided Afghanistan with large amounts of technical data. The USGS has added new interpretations of the mineral 

resources of Afghanistan and has provided quantitative classifications 

and new data that are designed to help in the development of the 

mineral resources of the country. 

A wide variety of nonfuel mineral resources is known, 

including important deposits of copper, iron, gold, chromium, 

silver, barite, sulfur, talc, magnesium, salt, mica, marble, rubies, 

emeralds, and lapis lazuli. In addition, USGS-TFBSO surveys 

have also delineated potentially extractable deposits of asbestos, 

mercury, lead, zinc, fluorspar, bauxite, beryllium, clays, limestone, 

and lithium. 

Newly created databases permit an assessment of the potential 

for near-term economic mining of different mineral, commodity, 

and mineral-deposit types. The AOIs were selected and identified 

in 2007 by the USGS (Peters, 2007) as areas where known deposits 

and resources were identified by Soviet and Afghanistan geologists 

(Abdullah and others, 1977). The areas include, among others, the 

giant Aynak copper-cobalt, Haji-Gak iron, Zarkashan copper-gold, 

and Khanneshin rare earth element deposits (fig. 1). Many other 

precious and base metal deposits as well as industrial mineral 

deposits also are highlighted in the newly released reports (table 1). 

The AOIs were selected by the USGS on the basis of a preliminary assessment of quantitative estimates of undiscovered nonfuel 

minerals in Afghanistan (Peters and others, 2007). Many of the most 

important AOIs were field checked by USGS and TFBSO geologists 

between 2009 and 2011, and many of the previous Soviet geologic 

studies were confirmed. Significant quantitative potential of the AOIs 

is based on USGS estimates that resulted from classification of the 

deposits into mineral-deposits models that contain known grade 

and tonnage characteristics derived from worldwide studies. The 

economic geology in the AOIs and elsewhere in Afghanistan is 

documented by archival reports and maps (Eppinger and Sipeki, 

2006), and in most cases the areas contain known measured mineral 

reserves or resources that were generated from previous sampling in 

trenches, drill holes, and (or) underground workings. Road access is 

common in most of the AOIs. Therefore, these AOIs contain low-risk 

assets from an access perspective. USGS data and information may 

make bidding and operating in these areas easier and may further 

reduce investment risk. The USGS-compiled digital GIS data for each 

of the 24 AOIs, and data for an additional 33 subareas within these 

AOIs, include both previously published USGS and other published 

data and newly generated data from the joint USGS-TFBSO activities. The aggregate of these data within each AOI constitutes a Data 

Package (fig. 2). These digital data packages have been combined 

with other existing reports and data generated by the USGS. Data and 

reports in each AOI are interpreted and summarized in the individual 

chapters in the report, and these summaries, combined with the 

archival reports and other information, form technical Information 

Packages for each AOI. The information packages are intended to be 

used to assemble Bidding Packages that would be prepared by the 

Afghan Ministry of Mines and distributed to potential bidders (fig. 2), 

in accordance with the Afghan Mining Law and to encourage investors and mining firms to develop the mineral wealth of the country.

Each chapter in the main report (Peters and others, 2011) 

summarizes mineral-resource studies in the individual AOIs and their 

subareas. Three chapter types are included: “A” chapters summarize 

the economic geology, “B” chapters summarize the hyperspectral 

data and hyperspectral data anomalies that may indicate mineralized 

areas, and “C” chapters summarize the geohydrology of each AOI. 

An additional chapter “D” is included for the Haji-Gak Iron AOI, and 

this chapter discusses the ore reserve calculations.

Figure 2. Flow chart and classification of data and information packages for each mineral Area of Interest leading to a bidding package. The area in blue is the 

information package, a combination of U.S. Geological Survey and other data (Peters and others, 2011). Each data and information package complements the 

chapters in this report and is available on the Web at http://afghanistan.cr.usgs.gov/. MoM/AGS is the Ministry of Mines, Afghanistan Geological Survey.
Table 1. List of mineral Areas of Interest (AOIs) and their commodities.

[ASTER, Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer; REE, rare earth element]

Area of Interest Subareas Deposit models Main commodities Minor or possible 

commodities Comments

Aynak Copper-Cobalt 

(Logar Chromite)

Yes Sediment-hosted copper, 

podiform chromite

Copper, cobalt, silver Marble, chromite, 

asbestos, talc

Reserves at Aynak, Jawhar, 

and Darband deposits

Badakhshan Gold Yes Gold-quartz veins, gold 

and iron skarn

Gold, iron Silver, copper, 

uranium

Weka Dur deposit contains 

958 kilograms gold

Baghlan Clay-Gypsum No Bauxite, clay, gypsum Bauxite, clay (kaolin), 

gypsum

— Resources contained in Tala 

Barfak bauxite deposit, 

extensive clay deposits 

Bakhud Fluorite No Sediment-hosted fluorite, 

fluorite vein, polymetallic skarn

Fluorite Zinc, lead, silver, 

antimony, barium

Main fluorite district in 

Afghanistan

Balkhab Copper Yes Volcanogenic massive 

sulfide

Copper Lead, zinc, coal Balkhab copper prospect; over 

3-kilometer strike length

Chaigai Hills Travertine No Travertine, porphyry 

copper-gold

Travertine (onyx) Copper, gold, 

molybdenum

Travertine production, porphyry copper-gold deposits 

in adjacent Pakistan

Daykundi Tin-TungstenLithiumNo Greisen tin-tungsten, tintungsten skarn, lithium 

pegmatite

Tin, tungsten, lithium Copper, lead-zinc Taghawlor lithium pegmatite 

field, also contains tin and 

base metals

Dudkash Industrial 

Minerals

No Limestone cement, dolomite, bedded celestite, 

gypsum clay 

Limestone cement, 

dolomite, celestite, 

gypsum clay 

Coal Located in Pul-e-Khumri 

area and in Tangi-Murch 

celestite deposit

Dusar-Shaida Copper-Tin Yes Porphyry copper, volcanogenic massive sulfide, tin-copper skarnCopper, tin Lead, zinc, tungsten Shaida porphyry copper 

prospect

Ghunday-Achin 

Magnesite-Talc

Yes Metasomatic magnesitetalc, ultramafic-hosted 

asbestos

Magnesite, talc, 

asbestos

Graphite, coal, marble Achin and Ghunday 

magnesite-talc deposits 

near Tora Bora

Haji-Gak Iron Yes Volcanogenic iron (?) Iron Barium, marble, sandstone, uranium, 

copper

1.7 billion tonnes + iron ore

Kharnak-Khanjar 

Mercury

Yes Epithermal mercury, 

base-metal skarn

Mercury Antimony, arsenic, 

gold, silver (?)

Mercury belt

Katawas Gold Yes Epithermal gold-silver Gold, silver (?) Mercury, tungsten (?) ASTER anomaly

Khanneshin Carbonatite Yes Carbonatite REE, uranium, 

phosphorus

Thorium, barium, 

strontium, limestone

Significant REE prospect and 

uranium resources

Kundalan Copper-Gold Yes Porphyry copper-gold 

and skarn

Copper, gold, 

molybdenum

Silver, lead Copper and gold resource; 

multiple occurrences

Kunduz Celestite No Bedded celestite, oil and 

gas, bedded phosphate 

deposits

celestite (SrSO4

) Oil and gas About 1 million tonnes of 

celestite in speculative 

resource and Katar oil 

occurrence

Nalbandon Lead-Zinc Yes Sediment-hosted leadzincLead, zinc Silver (?) Extensive mineral field

North Herat BariumLimestoneNo Bedded barite, vein 

barite, chemical 

limestone, marble, 

clay, iron skarn

Barium, limestone, 

marble, clay, iron

— Major barite field, marble 

factory, industrial center

North Takhar Gold Placer No Gold placer Gold — Past production, gold 

resources

Nuristan Pegmatite No Pegmatites REE, lithium, tin, 

and mica

Tantalum, niobium Paron (Jamanak-Pasgushta) 

and Pachigram pegmatite 

fields; lithium resources

Panjsher Valley EmeraldIron-SilverNo Emerald, sedimentary 

iron and silver

Emerald, iron, silver — Major emerald mining area

Takhar Evaporite No Salt dome, clay, 

sandstone

Salt, clay silica Coal, oil and gas Rock salt deposit at Namakab; 

porcelain and pottery clay

Tourmaline Tin No Tin-tungsten vein, placer 

tin

Tin (tungsten) Copper (?) Previous mining for placer tin

Zarkashan Copper-Gold Yes Porphyry copper-gold 

and skarn

Copper, gold Silver, lead Copper and gold resource; 

multiple occurrences, 

gold placers
The USGS participated in the planning and execution of 

USGS-TFBSO scoping missions to the AOIs during 2009, 2010, and 

2011. The AOIs visited were the Khanneshin Carbonatite, Chaigai 

Hills Travertine, Balkhab Copper, Haji-Gak Iron, Northern Aynak 

Copper-Cobalt, Kundalan Copper-Gold, Zarkashan Copper-Gold, 

and Dusar-Shaida Copper-Tin AOIs (fig. 1). Data and information 

gathered on these scoping missions are incorporated in the summaries 

of each AOI or are part of the data or information packages. In each 

case, new and unique geologic observations were acquired that 

allowed evaluation and interpretation of the previous Soviet studies, 

which in many cases were confirmed.

Previous USGS work on nonfuel minerals was conducted jointly 

by the USGS and the AGS from October 1, 2007, to the present. The 

main AGS focus in Afghanistan during 2009 and 2010 was in the 

Badakhshan Gold, Balkhab Copper, and Panjsher Valley EmeraldIron-Silver AOIs (fig. 1). Separate reports of this work by the AGS 

are included within the information packages for each AOI and are 

also available through the AGS.

All the AOIs were selected as areas that could potentially 

support mineral production in the near future. As part of the project 

prioritization process, a number of AOIs or subareas were identified 

as more important because new information gathered and compiled 

in 2009 and 2011 confirmed and augmented the geologic concepts or 

mineral potential resulting from previous Soviet fieldwork and USGS 

assessments. These important, higher priority AOIs are Badakhshan 

Gold, Balkhab Copper, Haji-Gak Iron, Aynak Copper-Cobalt, 

Zarkashan Copper-Gold, Kundalan Copper-Gold, Khanneshin 

Carbonatite, and Dusar-Shaida Copper-Tin (fig. 1). These AOIs 

display outcropping mineralization with favorable geometries and 

simple metallurgical ore types; these characteristics may translate into 

lower capital costs, shorter lead times, and shorter payback periods. 

Many of the AOIs may contain ore deposits that could be medium to 

world class in size and tenor.

Industrial mineral activities by the USGS in Afghanistan 

between 2009 and 2011 were designed to assess the deposits and use 

of the industrial mineral resources by Afghanistan indigenous industries. This focus was on cement and marble production. Two cement 

plants, Jabal-e-Saraj and Pul-e-Khumri, were assessed, and planning 

for marble and phosphorite development was initiated. Studies of 

cement are summarized in Peters and others (2011). Additional report 

chapters summarize information on other industrial minerals, such 

as clays, gypsum, salt, sulfur, sand and gravel, limestone, and other 

materials. Geohydrologic activities in support of mineral development involved a number of activities including the completion of the 

analysis of historical streamflows for Afghanistan.

Further Information

Supporting geologic studies of mineralized systems and areas 

of interest are available from the Afghanistan Geological Survey 

Data Center in Kabul (http://mom.gov.af/en; http://www.bgs.ac.uk/

afghanminerals/) and also are available for viewing and download on 

the USGS public Web site (http://afghanistan.cr.usgs.gov/) and in a 

separate viewer at http://mapdss2.er.usgs.gov.

U.S. Geological Survey–Afghanistan Ministry of Mines Joint 

Mineral Resource Assessment Team

Stephen G. Peters (Project Leader), Trude V.V. King (Task 

Leader–Remote Sensing), Thomas J. Mack (Co-Task Leader–

Hydrology), Michael P. Chornack (Co-Task Leader–Hydrology), 

Robert D. Tucker, Victor G. Mossotti, Carol A. Finn, Jared D. 

Abraham, Siddiq Kalaly, Jenifer Bracewell, Will Stettner, Peter G. 

Chirico, Thomas W. Moran, Michaela Johnson, Bernard E. Hubbard, 

Eric D. Anderson, Benjamin J. Drenth, Robert P. Kucks, Charles R. 

Lindsay, Jeffrey D. Phillips, Ronald E. Sweeney, Raymond F. Kokaly, 

Todd M. Hoefen, K. Eric Livo, Kay Dudek, and Ted G. Theodore

References

Abdullah, Sh., Chmyriov, V.M., Stazhilo-Alekseev, K.F., Dronov, 

V.I., Gannon, P.J., Lubemov, B.K., Kofarsky, A.K., and Malyarov, 

E.P., 1977, Mineral resources of Afghanistan (2d ed.): Kabul, 

Ministry of Mines and Industries of the Democratic Republic 

of Afghanistan, Afghan Geological and Mines Survey, United 

Nations Development Programme Support Project AFG/74/12, 

419 p. 

Eppinger, R.G., and Sipeki, Julianna, 2006, Database of geoscientific 

references through 2006 for Afghanistan, Version 1: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006–1370, 9 p. and Access database, 

available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1370/.

King, T.V.V., Johnson, M.R., Hubbard, B.E., and Drenth, B.J., eds., 

in press, Identification of mineral resources in Afghanistan—

Detecting and mapping resource anomalies in prioritized areas 

using geophysical and remote sensing (ASTER and HyMap) data: 

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011–1229.

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Afghanistan: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2006–3031, 2 p.,

available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3031/.

Peters, S.G., 2007, Preliminary assessment of non-fuel mineral 

resources of Afghanistan, 2007: U.S. Geological Survey Fact 

Sheet 2007–3063, 4 p., available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/

fs/2007/3063/.

Peters, S.G., King, T.V.V., Mack, T.J., Chornack, M.P., eds., and the 

U.S. Geological Survey Afghanistan Mineral Assessment Team, 

2011, Summaries of important areas for mineral investment and 

production opportunities of nonfuel minerals in Afghanistan: 

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011–1204, 1,810 p. 

plus appendixes on DVD, available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/

of/2011/1204/.

Peters, S.G., Ludington, S.D., Orris, G.J., Sutphin, D.M., Bliss, J.D., 

and Rytuba, J.J., eds., and the U.S. Geological Survey–

Afghanistan Ministry of Mines Joint Mineral Resource 

Assessment Team, 2007, Preliminary non-fuel mineral resource 

assessment of Afghanistan 2007: U.S. Geological Survey OpenFile Report 2007–1214, 810 p., 1 CD–ROM, available at 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1214/.

The USGS-TFBSO Afghanistan Minerals Project

This report is USGS Afghanistan Project Product No. 203. This 

study was funded by an interagency agreement between the Task 

Force for Business and Stability Operations, U.S. Department of 

Defense, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

For more information on the nonfuel mineral 

resource program in Afghanistan, contact 

Stephen G. Peters 

U.S. Geological Survey 

954 National Center 

Reston, VA 20192 

speters@usgs.gov