[Buddha-l] Mes Aynak

[GM]

I believe it has been explored, at least to a some degree. If found, I suspect a new site would likely be sold separately or added to the existing concession for a hefty price, not used to entirely replace the existing Chinese concession. 

Some years ago a  German geological survey showed that Afghanistan was rich in untapped mineral deposits. They remain untapped due to security concerns. The Mes Aynak site is rich and in a relatively secure site (meaning that the odds of being able to ship out the copper are better than in most places). It is a risky enough business climate for that and other reasons. Only a Chinese company with a such a strong domestic commodity market was interested. A deteriorating security situation may preserve the site if it makes mining there unprofitable. On a more hopeful note, a new government might well decide that the concession is invalid due to corrupt practices or demand new payments, again making the mine unprofitable enough for the Chinese to abandon.

On Apr 24, 2013, at 11:21 AM, "Jo" <ugg-5 at spro.net> wrote:

> On question arises about the site as a copper source: why hasn't any
> exploration outside the Mes Aynak site been done to see if copper is
> underground in the beyond or surrounding areas? Mes Aynak could very well
> have been preserved for archaeological excavation if that had been, or is,
> done. 
> 
> Joanna
> 
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