Summaries of Important Areas for Mineral Investment and
Production Opportunities of Nonfuel Minerals in Afghanistan

Table of Contents

By Stephen G. Peters, Trude V.V. King, Thomas J. Mack, Michael P. Chornack (eds.), and the U.S. Geological Survey Afghanistan Mineral Assessment Team

Open-File Report 2011–1204
USGS Afghanistan Project Product No. 199

Volume I

  • Executive Summary iii
  • 1. Introduction to Summaries of Important Areas for Mineral Investment and Production Opportunities in Afghanistan 1

(n) Indicates index map reference
Zoom in Click to view vicinity map of AOI

Aynak (1)

  • 2A. Summary of the Aynak Copper, Cobalt, and Chromium Area of Interest 36
  • 2B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Aynak Copper, Cobalt, and Chromium Area of Interest 95
  • 2C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Aynak Copper, Cobalt, and Chromium Area of Interest 135

Badakhshan (2)

  • 3A. Summary of the Badakhshan Gold Area of Interest 161
  • 3B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Badakhshan Gold Area of Interest 186
  • 3C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Badakhshan Gold Area of Interest 203

Balkhab (5)

  • 4A. Summary of the Balkhab Copper Area of Interest 224
  • 4B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Balkhab Copper Area of Interest 248
  • 4C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Balkhab Copper Area of Interest 275

Daykundi (6)

  • 5A. Summary of the Daykundi Tin and Tungsten Area of Interest 294
  • 5B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Daykundi Tin and Tungsten Area of Interest 314
  • 5C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Daykundi Tin and Tungsten Area of Interest 342

Dusar-Shaida (8)

  • 6A. Summary of the Dusar-Shaida Copper and Tin Area of Interest 363
  • 6B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Dusar-Shaida Copper and Tin Area of Interest 392
  • 6C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Dusar-Shaida Copper and Tin Area of Interest 428

Haji-Gak (10)

  • 7A. Summary of the Haji-Gak Iron Area of Interest 450
  • 7B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Haji-Gak Iron Area of Interest 499
  • 7C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Haji-Gak Iron Area of Interest 549
  • 7D. A Reevaluation of the Geology and Mineral Resources of the Haji-Gak Iron Deposit 570

Katawas (11)

  • 8A. Summary of the Katawas Gold Area of Interest 598
  • 8B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Katawas Gold Area of Interest 617
  • 8C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Katawas Gold Area of Interest 642

Karnak-Khanjar (13)

  • 9A. Summary of the Karnak-Khanjar Mercury Area of Interest 665
  • 9B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Karnak-Khanjar Mercury Area of Interest 693
  • 9C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Karnak-Khanjar Mercury Area of Interest 729

Kundalan (14)

  • 10A. Summary of the Kundalan Copper and Gold Area of Interest 747
  • 10B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Kundalan Copper and Gold Area of Interest 778
  • 10C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Kundalan Copper and Gold Area of Interest 835

Volume II

Nalbandon (18)

  • 11A. Summary of the Nalbandon Lead and Zinc Area of Interest 851
  • 11B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Nalbandon Lead and Zinc Area of Interest 895
  • 11C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Nalbandon Lead and Zinc Area of Interest 933

North Takhar (17)

  • 12A. Summary of the North Takhar Gold Placer Area of Interest 951
  • 12B. Geohydrologic Summary of the North Takhar Gold Placer Area of Interest 969

Panjsher Valley (20)

  • 13A. Summary of the Panjsher Valley Emerald, Iron, and Silver Area of Interest 987
  • 13B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Panjsher Valley Emerald, Iron, and Silver Area of Interest 1017
  • 13C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Panjsher Valley Emerald, Iron, and Silver Area of Interest 1046

Tourmaline (23)

  • 14A. Summary of the Tourmaline Tin Area of Interest 1061
  • 14B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Tourmaline Tin Area of Interest 1078
  • 14C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Tourmaline Tin Area of Interest 1096

Zarkashan (24)

  • 15A. Summary of the Zarkashan Copper and Gold Area of Interest 1113
  • 15B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Zarkashan Copper and Gold Area of Interest 1154
  • 15C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Zarkashan Copper and Gold Area of Interest 1206

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­____________________________________________________________________________________________

  • 16A. Introduction to Industrial Minerals 1227
  • 16B. Cement in Afghanistan 1243

Baghlan (3)

  • 17A. Summary of the Baghlan Clay and Gypsum Area of Interest 1271
  • 17B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Baghlan Clay and Gypsum Area of Interest 1284
  • 17C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Baghlan Clay and Gypsum Area of Interest 1303

Bakhud (4)

  • 18A. Summary of the Bakhud Fluorite Area of Interest 1320
  • 18B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Bakhud Fluorite Area of Interest 1328
  • 18C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Bakhud Fluorite Area of Interest 1347

Dudkash (7)

  • 19A. Summary of the Dudkash Industrial Minerals Area of Interest 1363
  • 19B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Dudkash Industrial Minerals Area of Interest 1382
  • 19C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Dudkash Industrial Minerals Area of Interest 1401

Ghunday-Achin (9)

  • 20A. Summary of the Ghunday-Achin Magnesite and Talc Area of Interest 1420
  • 20B. Geohydrologic Summary of the Ghunday-Achin Magnesite and Talc Area of Interest 1435

Khanneshin (12)

  • 21A. Summary of the Khanneshin Carbonatite Area of Interest 1455
  • 21B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Khanneshin Carbonatite Area of Interest 1476
  • 21C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Khanneshin Carbonatite Area of Interest 1500

Kunduz (15)

  • 22A. Summary of the Kunduz Celestite Area of Interest 1521
  • 22B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Kunduz Celestite Area of Interest 1535
  • 22C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Kunduz Celestite Area of Interest 1550

North Herat (16)

  • 23A. Summary of the North Herat Barium and Limestone Area of Interest 1568
  • 23B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of parts of the North Herat Barium and Limestone Area of Interest 1580
  • 23C. Geohydrologic Summary of the North Herat Barium and Limestone Area of Interest 1610

Nuristan Pegmatite (19)

  • 24A. Summary of the Nuristan Pegmatite Area of Interest 1630
  • 24B. Geohydrologic Summary of the Nuristan Pegmatite Area of Interest 1654

South Helmand (21)

  • 25A. Summary of the South Helmand Travertine Area of Interest 1673
  • 25B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the South Helmand Travertine Area of Interest 1725
  • 25C. Geohydrologic Summary of the South Helmand Travertine Area of Interest 1741

Takhar (22)

  • 26A. Summary of the Takhar Evaporite Area of Interest 1760
  • 26B. Hyperspectral Mapping Analysis of the Takhar Evaporite Area of Interest 1776
  • 26C. Geohydrologic Summary of the Takhar Evaporite Area of Interest 1795

Appendixes

[The appendixes are not printed. A DVD in the pocket of volume I contains the whole report, including appendixes 1–3]

Appendix 1. Inventory Spreadsheets for Information Packages Compiled for Each Area of Interest.

Appendix 2. Streamflow Statistics at Ungaged Sites in Areas of Interest.

Appendix 3. Groundwater Hydrographs at or Near Areas of Interest.

Click here for links to the high-resolution versions of the figures for the hyperspectral mapping analysis and spatial index map.

*Download Acrobat® Reader, available at no charge from Adobe Systems, to view and print PDFs.