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Pakistan
Mining and Quarrying
Through the 1980s, development of mining was discouraged by the
absence of venture capital and the limited demand for many minerals
from domestic industries. The slow development of mining was due
in part to the remoteness of the areas where most minerals are
found, which adds greatly to the costs of exploration, production,
and transportation. Moreover, some of these areas have a poor
reputation for law and order. By the early 1990s, mining was of
little importance to the economy, despite the presence of fairly
extensive mineral resources. Foreign companies have been invited
to bid for concessions for mineral extraction.
Minerals include antimony, bauxite, chromite, copper, gypsum,
iron ore, limestone, magnesite, marble, molybdenum, rock salt,
and sulfur. Much of the mineral wealth is found in Balochistan.
In FY 1992, mineral production included 8.5 million tons of limestone,
833,000 tons of rock salt, 471,000 tons of gypsum, and 6,333 tons
of magnesite. Some iron-ore deposits are of good enough quality
for use in the country's steel plant, but in FY 1992 production
was only 937,000 tons.
The Saindak Integrated Mineral Project, managed by the stateowned
Resource Development Corporation, was developed in the 1980s and
early 1990s, but in 1993 there were as yet few results. Located
in Balochistan, the project area contains three separate large
deposits of copper ore, gold, iron ore, molybdenum, silver, and
sulfur.
Data as of April 1994
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