Afghanistan has abundant metallic and non-metallic resources potential, but these resources have never been systematically assessed using modern western methodologies and technologies. In the three decades leading up to about 1978, many activities were undertaken by the Afghanistan Government, with the support of foreign aid, to geologically map, to study energy and mineral resources, and to develop other geoscience expertise to support the natural resources sector. These activities produced many products including maps, reports, summaries, mineral locations, tables and charts that summarized the studies undertaken. These products reside within the various ministries of the Afghanistan Government, in libraries of foreign government organizations, and within the libraries of academic institutions. They are written in several languages. The data and information in these reports and maps form the basis for providing a modern nationwide mineral resources assessment using accepted western methodologies and technologies for Afghanistan despite being 30 to 50 years in age. This assessment will in turn provide impetus for planning and carrying out further data and information gathering to make the assessments more credible and reliable and to attract the interests of foreign investors into the mineral sector.

Role of USGS

The USGS Mineral Resources Program will conduct an assessment of the mineral resources of Afghanistan. This will be achieved through data gathering, synthesis, and interpretation in coordination with other USG and Afghan government agencies. The USGS will provide expertise in economic geology (mineral deposits), regional metallogenic analysis, minerals information services, satellite image analysis, geophysical and geochemical data analysis, GIS building, and mineral assessment methodology.

Objectives

Five major objectives of this project are as follows:

• Identification And Acquisition of Relevant Data and Information
• Compilation and Processing of Updated Mineral-Resource-Related Data and Information
• Resource Assessment for Selected Commodities and Mineral Deposit Types
• Product Development and Distribution
• Follow-up Field Activities

Identification And Acquisition of Relevant Data and Information
All data and information related to Afghanistan's geology and mineral resources will be identified and reviewed for relevance toward conducting a current mineral resource inventory and assessment for undiscovered mineral resources. Data and information located in foreign depositories may require purchase and translation. All data and literature sources will be compiled into a project bibliography and data inventory.

Compilation and Processing of Updated Mineral-Resource-Related Data and Information
A critical task in the compilation of Afghanistan's mineral resource data will be to update existing data by incorporating current geotectonic theory and up-to-date mineral deposit model classifications into a database that has been heavily influenced by outdated ideology.

Building a mineral resource geographical information system (GIS) will be a major objective of this effort. All data compilation will be done digitally and will include the following databases: geologic map (incorporating new rock age data and satellite imagery-derived revisions), mineral deposits and occurrences, geochemistry, geophysics, and satellite imagery-derived rock alteration classification. .

Resource Assessment for Selected Commodities and Mineral Deposit Types
The USGS has created and is continually updating its internationally accepted collection of descriptive geologic models and grade-tonnage models for a large number of worldwide mineral deposit types. These models, used by government agencies and mineral exploration companies throughout the world, will be applied in the assessment of mineral resources in Afghanistan by USGS geoscientists who are experienced in estimating undiscovered resources.

A qualitative assessment of undiscovered mineral resources will initially be conducted and will draw on all available revised and updated geologic and mineral-resource related information. The assessment will delineate areas and regions permissive for the occurrence of undiscovered mineral resources of selected mineral deposit types. The delineated regions will represent areas where exploration for a particular commodity would have the greatest potential for success. The assessment will focus on commodities and deposit types that will be important in providing needed resources for reconstruction and expansion of infrastructure and that will attract foreign investment into the country's rebuilding effort.

A quantitative assessment of undiscovered mineral resources will be conducted, as feasible, to provide an estimate of the quantity and quality of undiscovered mineral resources. The quantitative assessment will be conducted on selected commodities and mineral deposit types where sufficient data and information are available. Furthermore, an analysis of quantitative assessment results will be conducted, where possible, using selected available economic filters to evaluate the viability and economic impact of resource development.

A fundamental part of a USGS mineral resource assessment is characterization of geo-environmental footprints for mineral deposit types being assessed. A detailed understanding of mineral deposit geology and geochemical processes, which control the element dispersion into the environment, is crucial for the effective prediction, mitigation, and remediation of the environmental effects of mineral resource development. The USGS has created and published a number of geo-environmental models for different mineral deposit types that will be used in this effort.

Longer-term follow-up field activities related to geo-environmental studies would involve (1) identifying areas of previously exploited resources where environmental impacts of development are in need of mitigation and remediation, and (2) baseline geochemical and geologic studies of undeveloped known resources to refine geo-environmental models for application in mineral resource assessments of Afghanistan.

Product Development and Distribution
This endeavor will generate a variety of paper and digital products documenting the country's known mineral resources and undiscovered mineral resource potential. Building of a project GIS will be critical in developing derivative thematic map products. Each objective will yield tangible results in phases, such that reports and map products are provided to coordinating USG and Afghan government agencies when available to insure prompt release of information throughout the duration of project. A compilation of final results will be provided as a GIS-based digital product to the public domain.

Initial project activities

Mineral Resources Assessment. This nationwide assessment was initiated in the March-April 2004 timeframe by a USGS visit with Afghanistan Geological Survey counterparts followed by field visits to world class copper and iron ore deposits south and northwest of Kabul. This field activity was followed by a three-week fieldwork trip in June-July 2004 to the Panjshir Valley to study the gemstone deposits in eastern Afghanistan. Geologic mapping and sample collection, with Afghanistan counterparts, were integral parts of this fieldwork. Collaboration and coordination in this study is being done with the British Geological Survey (BGS).

Mining Law. The updating and revision of the Afghanistan Mining Law was started more than one year ago. This Law, like the Petroleum Law, will provide for a level playing field for foreign investors and will have as one of its goals the making of the mineral mining and leasing process transparent to foreign investors. The World Bank is responsible, along with the Afghanistan Government, for the development and implementation of this new law. It should be approved by the end of 2004. Said Mirzad, USGS, has participated in the development, translations, and discussion of both the Mining Law as well as the Petroleum Law.