India is in race to mine iron ore in Afghanistan
A strategic tilt in a positive direction, with a viable regional impact, is likely in Indo-Afghan ties if India wins the bid to commence iron ore mining operations in Afghanistan, well-placed sources here said.
International bids will be opened in the first week of October for mining rights of the Haji Gak iron ore deposits in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan province. With anticipated reserves of two billion metric tonnes, Haji Gak represents the world’s richest iron ore reserve, with an anticipated ore content of 62 per cent.
A public-private Indian consortium led by the Steel Authority of India, and comprising National Min-eral Development Corp, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd, Tata Steel and two Jindal group entities is in contention. Abhijit Industries, a Kolkata company, is also in the fray. The Iranians are in the field.
Interestingly, however, the Chinese are not. In 2009, they won the mining rights for copper at Ainak in Logar province, south of Kabul, till then thought to be the world’s largest copper reserve. The copper deposits in Balkhab district of Sarai Pul province in northern Afghanistan are also expected to come under the hammer soon. These are expected to overshadow Ainak in expected tonnage.
The iron ore, copper and coal mines at Darai Suf between Bamiyan and Samangan, and gas reserves in the Balkh area, together offer upward of $300 billion in exploitable resources. Sources here believe India has a strong case for the Haji Gak bid.
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