Mineral Resources of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan
The subsoil of Kyrgyzstan is truly a gigantic "treasury" of valuable mineral resources. In the figurative expression of scientists, here "nature has hidden the entire periodic table of Mendeleev underground." By 1982, more than 5,000 deposits and manifestations of various types of minerals had been discovered and accounted for in the republic.
Did you know that silver and gold, as well as ores of tin, copper, lead, mercury, and other metals, have been mined in the mountainous regions of Central Asia for over 2,500 years BC? This is evidenced by the ancient quarries of Andagul, the workings of Haidarkan, and the vast, kilometers-long dumps of washed gold placers in the valley of the Kassansay River. They impress with their size; these are the largest traces of ancient gold seekers in the Soviet Union.
The history of oil production at Changyr-Tash goes back into the distant past. The nomadic Kyrgyz have long noticed springs of oily black liquid on the banks of the Kara-Darya. One day, "the blood of the devil" flared up at the river's confluence, and the nomads rushed to find the mullah. The elder prayed for a long time, begging Allah for forgiveness for the sins of his tribesmen, and advised to build a mosque at the confluence, which was soon constructed...
But "the blood of the devil" continued to ooze from the slopes. It attracted the attention of geologists, who had been searching for oil in this area even before the revolution.
Industrial oil production at Changyr-Tash actually began in 1937 and increased after the discovery of the Kok-Tash and Izbaskent fields.
Currently, oil production has increased almost 300 times compared to 1937. Geologists continue to explore new deposits.
Scientists have proven that the mineral salts of Kyrgyzstan, containing a complex of trace elements, enhance livestock productivity. Mineral salts in Kyrgyzstan are scattered literally everywhere. Salt deposits are being developed in Chon-Tuz in the Kochkor region, Tunuktuz in the Toguz-Toro region, Ketmen-Tube in the Toktogul region, Makmal in the Ak-Tal region, and others.
In recent years, geologists in Kyrgyzstan have discovered and explored six deposits of natural stones, including the Kirtavalginskoye deposit of granites, the Ak-Ulen deposit of syenites, the Arym deposit of marbles, the Kainidinskoye deposit of granitoids, and the Sary-Tash deposit of limestone-sandstones.
With the start of the exploitation of these deposits, a raw material base for natural facing stones has been created in the republic, allowing Kyrgyzstan not only to abandon the import of marbles and granites from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan but also to export blocks and slabs abroad.
The Ak-Ulen syenite deposit is located in the Issyk-Kul region, 18 km from the city of Balykchy. Syenites are used for internal and external cladding of buildings and flooring. The service life of syenites for internal cladding is 10,000 years, and for external cladding, it is 1,200 years.
Its marbles have a rich color palette—from light gray, white, and bluish-gray to green. The service life of marbles for internal cladding is 10,000 years, and for external cladding, it is 650 to 1,200 years.
Granitoids from the Kainidinskoye deposit and limestone-sandstones from the Sary-Tash deposit are widely used in construction. They have been used to clad the building of the Cardiology Center, the Kyrgyz State Philharmonic, underground passages, and other structures.
Kyrgyzstan has almost all types of mineral waters used in modern balneological practice. Known here are deposits of carbonated, sulfide, iodide-bromine, radon, and thermal waters.
In the southeastern part of the Issyk-Kul basin, in a deep picturesque gorge covered with spruce forest, barberry bushes, and wild black currants, with clean and transparent air, is the children's sanatorium "Ak-Suu." The thermal waters from its springs are widely used for treating various musculoskeletal disorders in children.
The mineral sources of Kara-Shoro attract residents of Osh and Jalal-Abad, Uzgen, and Kyzyl-Kiya, as well as many other cities in the Fergana Valley. The water that springs here from the ground treats stomach diseases. There are more than 20 sources, each with its own taste. One is comparable to "Essentuki," others resemble "Borjomi," and some—"Narzan."
Not far from Przhevalsk is a gorge of rare beauty. In the morning, when the sun embraces the mountain tops, the twilight fades, and black spruces emerge from the fog. Red rocks, closely standing next to each other, stand like sentinels. The sky is blue, the mountain tops are lilac, the entire valley is blue and green... And only these rocks are bright red. This is Jety-Oguz (in folk etymology—"Seven Bulls")—a balneological resort known for its radioactive springs.
Just 5 km from Lake Issyk-Kul, a powerful fountain of hot (up to 50°) healing water erupts from a great depth. Near the confluence of the river, the richest thermal springs are concentrated in the Issyk-Kul basin in the gorges of Jhuuka, Chon-Kyzyl-Su, Jety-Oguz, Altyn-Arashan, Ak-Suu, and Bozuchuk—in a strip of mountains extending about 60 km.