Programme overview

More than 80 speakers and panellists took part in the Forum.

 

On the first day of the Forum, on 2 April, a program of four masterclasses was conducted for more than 80 operations managers from mining companies, as well as delegates from the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The information-packed Forum programme on April 3 and 4 included 3 plenary sessions, 2 round tables, 6 technical sessions and 1 workshop.

At the opening of the Forum proper on 3 April, Timur Toktabayev, Vice-Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development, presented a keynote address. In his speech, the Vice-Minister noted the results of the ongoing reforms in the subsoil use industry, in particular, the practical implementation of the Subsoil and Subsoil Use Code (‘Subsoil Code’) of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Since the enactment of the Subsoil Code on 29 June 2018, the Ministry has issued 45 metals and minerals exploration licenses by the newly-implemented ‘first-come, first-served’ principle. The key changes to the subsoil legislative regime and the Ministry’s further plans to reform subsoil use legislation based on best international practice were also discussed during the Minister’s presentation.

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourn, the Trade Envoy of the British Prime Minister to Kazakhstan addressed the Forum participants via a video message.

Milestones and key trends in the development of the mining industry in Kazakhstan were presented at the first plenary session by the senior directors and experts from EY, the National Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises, Yilmaden Holding and CRU Group.

In the second plenary session of the Forum, the Department of Subsoil Use and the Committee of Geology and Subsoil Use discussed the practical steps taken towards the implementation of the Subsoil and Subsoil Use Act in the period through 2024. The members of the Code Working Group, as well as the senior management of Kazgeology National Geological and Exploration Company, the KAZRC Association, and, the Professional Association of Independent Experts in Subsoil Use (PONEN) also took part in this session.

For the first time, a new media format was used at the Forum to showcase the mining success stories in Kazakhstan featuring presentations by Yilmaden Holding, Resource Capital Group, Kazakh Invest and Central Asia Partners.

The plenary and technical sessions of the afternoon sessions of the second day of the Forum were focused on the practical aspects of developing the green economy in the mining industry, the digital transformation of mining enterprises, as well as new opportunities to attract investment and financing of mining projects in the changing legal field. Directors and senior experts presented from the National Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises, EY, Yilmaden Holding, Kazakhmys, Resource Capital Group, Central Asia Partnerships, Wardell Armstrong International, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Astana International Exchange, the London Stock Exchange Group, ScholzvonGleich, GRATA International, People 1st International, K-MINE, VIST Asia, AGR software and Howden.

On 4 April, the third day of the Forum, Dars Consulting held a seminar for IR and PR managers of mining companies. Experts discussed problematic issues of information disclosure and corporate reputation management in the digital era.

Prospects for new geological discoveries and the development of exploration projects in Kazakhstan and Central Asia were presented at the third plenary session by the heads of the Eurasian Academy of Mining Sciences, Kazgeoinform, the Kyrgyz Mining Association, Yilmaden Holding and KAZ Minerals Management.

Technical factors relating to the optimisation of the economics of the mining enterprises were discussed with practical examples given by the CEOs of IMC Montan, RPMGlobal, Seequent, K-MINE, SRK Consulting (UK) and MICROMINE Central Asia.

Examples of digital transformation in exploration and the management of geological data were presented by experts from GEOKEN, Terra Exploration, Abitibi Geophysics, SRK Exploration Services, Phoenix Geophysics and Gelios.

Thermo Techno Engineering, Diamant, Blast Movement Technologies, Promiseland Exploration and VIOGEM highlighted the examples of boosting productivity with the help of intelligent mining solutions at the final technical session.

A roundtable entitled ‘Future Mining Industry: developing potential for social engagement, education and innovation’ concluded the Forum. Panellists and speakers from the School of Mining and Earth Sciences at Nazarbayev University, Kuzbass State Technical University, BTSDigital, ERG Engineering Science & Research Centre, Kazakhmys Technology College, the Geological Exploration College and People 1st International discussed the present and future challenges of transforming mining jobs and training specialists for the mining industry disrupted by the digital technologies.

Alongside the Forum on 4 April, the MineTech Business and MineTech University competitions of innovative solutions and technologies were held. The new technologies that are not yet widespread in Kazakhstan were presented to the jury comprised of the heads of innovation departments of the local mining companies and the international consulting companies.