Preliminary Non-Fuel Mineral Resource Assessment of Afghanistan, 2007, Open File Report 2007-1214

Open-File Report 2007-1214

Prepared in cooperation with the Afghanistan Geological Survey under the auspices of the U.S. Agency for International Development

Preliminary Non-Fuel Mineral Resource Assessment of Afghanistan 2007

By Stephen G. Peters, Stephen D. Ludington, Greta J. Orris, David M. Sutphin, James D. Bliss, and James J. Rytuba, eds., and the U.S. Geological Survey-Afghanistan Ministry of Mines Joint Mineral Resource Assessment Team

GIS Data

This is version 1.1 of the GIS data. The data have been reorganized into more manageable file sizes. Please print the readme.txt file for detailed instructions on downloading and installing the files.

These files constitute a GIS database of industrial and metallic mineral resource assessment tracts, and is an accompaniment to the non-fuel mineral resource assessment of Afghanistan. Also included are geologic, structural, geochemical, geophysical, environmental, political, and other geospatial datasets covering Afghanistan. The purpose of this GIS database is to provide a collection of basic geoscientific datasets to support the assessment of mineral resources, their further exploration and development, and to provide a partial index of known data resources.

About 10 gigabytes of free hard drive space will be required for download and installation of the self-extracting archive files that make up the GIS database.

These archive files (.exe and .rar) include the following:

Main files, with folder structure of database

afgnmin.exe (263.7 MB)

GIS datasets, which will need to be decompressed in the afgnmin\gis folder that is created when the main archive (afgnmin.exe) is decompressed

admin.exe (9.4 MB)
asmttrks.exe (131.9 MB)
base.exe (180.4 MB)
carto.exe (3.9 MB)
cult.exe (0.1 MB)
dem.part1.exe (256.0 MB)
dem.part2.rar (256.0 MB)
dem.part3.rar (45.4 MB)
envl.exe (109.0 MB)
geog.exe (0.1 MB)
geol.exe (141.6 MB)
geophys.exe (122.9 MB)
hydro.exe (14.7 MB)
infra.exe (0.2 MB)
min.exe (112.9 MB)
pop.exe (9.0 MB)
sat.part1.exe (256.0 MB)
sat.part2.rar (256.0 MB)
sat.part3.rar (256.0 MB)
sat.part4.rar (256.0 MB)
sat.part5.rar (256.0 MB)
sat.part6.rar (256.0 MB)
trans.exe (8.9 MB)

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperated with the Afghanistan Geological Survey (AGS) of the Afghanistan Ministry of Mines to assess the undiscovered non-fuel mineral resources of Afghanistan between 2006 and 2007. This report presents the results of this work and contains chapters describing and assessing the mineral resources of Afghanistan. An accompanying Geographical Information System (GIS) is an accompanying disk that includes supporting data. Funding for this effort was provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

For more information please contact the author.

Volume Contents (PDF –164 KB, 32 pages)
Summary (PDF – 164 KB, 9 pages)
1.0 Introduction (PDF – 920 KB, 20 pages)
- 1.1 Background
- 1.2 Past Development
- 1.3 Assessment Methods
- 1.4 Geologic History
- 1.5 Metallogeny
- 1.6 Acknowledgements
2.0 Deposits related to mafic igneous rocks (PDF — 4,582 KB, 74 pages)
- 2.1 Podiform chromite
  - 2.1.1 Chromite Mineral Occurrences
  - 2.1.2 Description of Podiform Chromite Deposit Models
    - Previous investigations
    - Logar Province
  - 2.1.3 Description of Mineral-Resource Tracts and Areas of Interest
    - Tract ID: umf01A Eocene Ultramafic Rocks of Logar Valley
    - Parwan province
    - Tract ID: umf01B— Eocene Ultramafic Rocks near Khost
    - Area ID: umf01C— Eocene Ultramafic Rocks of Paktia, Province, North of Khost, Area of Interest
    - Area ID: umf01D— Ghazni to Kandahar Valley Area of Interest
    - Additional Areas of Interest of Ultramafic-Hosted Mineral Deposits
    - Area ID: umf02— Proterozoic Ultramafic Rock Area of Interest
    - Area ID: umf03—Paleozoic Ultramafic Rocks Area of Interest
    - Area ID: umf04— Mesozoic Ultramafic Rocks Area of Interest
- 2.2 Ultramafic-Hosted Talc-Magnesite
  - 2.2.1 Talc-Magnesite Deposit Models
    - Tract ID: umf01A Eocene Age Ultramafic Rocks of Logar Valley
    - Tract ID: umf01B Eocene Age Mafic and Ultramafic Rocks of the Khost Area
- 2.3 Serpentine-Hosted Asbestos
  - Health concerns
  - 2.3.1 Serpentine-Hosted Asbestos Deposit Models
    - Mineral-Resource Tracts and Areas of Interest
    - Tract ID: umf01A—Eocene Age Ultramafic Rocks of Logar Valley
    - Tract ID: umf01B— Eocene Age Mafic and Ultramafic Rocks of the Khost Area
  - 2.3.2 Description of tracts for Older Serpentine-Hosted Asbestos and Ultramafic-Hosted Talc-Magnesite
    - Tract ID: mir01—Asbestos, magnesite, and talc Proterozoic age mafic and ultramafic intrusive rocks
    - Tract ID: mir02— Asbestos, magnesite, and talc Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) and Permian age mafic and ultramafic intrusive rocks
    - Tract ID: mir03— Asbestos, magnesite, and talc Mesozoic age mafic and ultramafic intrusive rocks
    - Tract ID: mir04— Asbestos, magnesite, and talc in Eocene age mafic and ultramafic intrusive rocks
    - Favorable tract mir04-f1
    - Prospective tract mir04-p1
    - Favorable tract mir04-f2
3.0 Deposits related to alkaline intrusions (PDF — 582 KB, 14 pages)
- 3.1 Carbonatite (U-Th- REE-Ap)
  - 3.1.1 Descriptive model of carbonatite (U-Th-REE-Ap)
- 3.2 Carbonatite (U-Th- REE-Ap) Tract Descriptions
  - Permissive tract cb01— Helmand basin
4.0 Deposits related to felsic phanerocrystalline intrusive rocks (PDF — 1,549 KB, 23 pages)
- 4.1 Tin and tungsten deposits
  - 4.1.1 Descriptive models for tin and tungsten deposits
  - 4.1.2 Tract Descriptions
- 4.2 Sedimentary rock-hosted fluorite (fluorspar)
  - 4.2.1 Fluorite vein deposit model
  - 4.2.2 Fluorite Tract Description
    - Permissive tract—fluor01
- 4.3 Pegmatites
  - 4.3.1 Description of pegmatite deposit models
  - 4.3.2 Pegmatite Mineral-Resource Tract
5.0 Deposits related to felsic to intermediate porphyritic igneous rocks (PDF – 10,585 KB, 79 pages)
- 5.1 Porphyry copper and associated deposits
  - 5.1.1 Descriptive Models for Porphyry Copper Deposits and Associated Models
  - 5.1.2 Tract Descriptions
    - Chagai east tract (ppycu01)
    - Chagai west tract (ppycu02)
    - Spin Boldak tract (ppycu03)
    - Saindak north tract (ppycu04)
    - Kundalyan-Zarkhashan tract (ppycu05)
    - Arghandab tract (ppycu06)
    - Katawaz tract (ppycu07)
    - Feroz Koh tract (ppycu08)
    - Farah Rod tract (ppycu09)
    - West Hindu Kush tract (ppycu10)
    - West Badakhshan tract (ppycu11)
    - Helmand tract (ppycu12)
- 5.2 Pluton-related gold deposits
  - 5.2.1 Description of tracts for pluton-related gold deposits.
    - Permissive tract—gold03 Kandahar-Zabul-Ghanzi gold
    - Favaorable tract gold03-f1
    - Prospective tract gold03-p1-Kundalyan-gold
    - Prospective tract gold-p2
    - Favorable tract gold03-f2
    - Prospective tract gold03-p3 Bolo gold
    - Prospective tract gold03-p4 Dynamitic

6.0 Deposits related to subaerial felsic to intermediate extrusive rocks (PDF — 4,895 KB, 66 pages)
- 6.1 Mercury deposits
  - 6.1.1 Descriptive models for epithermal deposits and associated models
  - 6.1.2 Epithermal deposit tract descriptions
    - Permissive Tract—ephg01 Taywara mercury
      - Prospective tract ephg01-p1 Zarmardan
      - Prospective tract ephg01-p2 Rode-Duzd
      - Prospective tract ephg01-p3 Durbas
      - Prospective tract ephg01-p4 Ghurma
      - Prospective tract ephg01-p5 Chashnak-Mushkan
      - Prospective tract ephg01-p6 Gariba
      - Prospective tract ephg01-p7 Kharnak-Khanjar
      - Favorable tract ephg01-f2 Solghoi-Sewak
    - Permissive Tract—ephg02 North Shaida mercury
    - Permissive Tract—ephg03 Tilak mercury
    - Permissive Tract—ephg04 Nayak mercury
    - Permissive Tract—ephg05 Katawaz-mercury
- 6.2 Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits
  - 6.2.1 Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits models
  - 6.2.2 Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits tract descriptions
    - Permissive Tract—VMS-01 Late Triassic (Balkhab and Gazoghel)
    - Permissive Tract—VMS-02 Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous
    - Permissive Tract—VMS-03 Eocene-Oligocene
    - Permissive Tract—VMS-04 Precambrian
7.0 Deposits associated with sedimentary processes or rocks (PDF – 4,628 KB, 70 pages)
- 7.1 Sediment-hosted copper
  - 7.1.1 Description of sediment-hosted copper deposit models
  - 7.1.2 Description of sediment-hosted copper assessment tracts
    - Permissive Tract—sedcu01 Aynak area
      - Favorable tract sedcu01-f1
      - Prospective tract sedcu01-p1 Yagh-darra-Ghuldarra
      - Prospective tract sedcu01-p2
      - Prospective tract sedcu01-p3 Aynak
      - Prospective tract sedcu01-p4 Kawkhar-Darband-Kuhundara
      - Favorable tract sedcu01-f2 Khaidarabad-Sultan Padshah
    - Permissive Tract—sedcu02 Kundalyan sedimentary copper
- 7.2 Sediment-hosted lead-zinc deposits
  - 7.2.1 Descriptive Models for Sediment-hosted lead-zinc deposits and Associated Models
  - 7.2.2 Sediment-hosted lead-zinc tract descriptions
    - Permissive tract— Pbzn01 Sediment-hosted Lead Zinc-Phanerozoic
      - Favorable tract pbzn01-f1 Nalbandon
      - Favorable tract pbzn01-f2 Gharghanawl-Gawmazar
      - Favorable tract pbzn01-f3 East Ghor
      - Geochemical anomalous areas in tract pbzn01
      - Permissive tract Pbzn02 Sediment-hosted Lead Zinc-Cretaceous
      - Permissive tract Pbzn03 Sediment-hosted lead-zinc Proterozoic
- 7.3 Clays
  - 7.3.1 Brick and refractory clays
  - 7.3.2 Porcelain
  - 7.3.3 Adobe clay
- 7.4 Limestone
  - 7.4.1 Descriptive deposit model
  - 7.4.2 Limestone Tract Description
8.0 Chemical-sedimentary deposits (PDF — 5,181 KB, 76 pages)
- 8.1 Sedimentary Iron deposits
  - 8.1.1 Description of sedimentary iron deposit models
  - 8.1.2 Description of sedimentary rock-hosted iron tracts
    - Permissive tract sedFe-01 Haji Gak Neo Proterozoic
    - Permissive tract sedFe-02 Paleo Proterozoic
    - Permissive tract sedFe-03 Meso Proterozoic
- 8.2 Bedded Manganese
  - 8.2.1 Description of Sedimentary Mn model
  - 8.2.2 Description of sedimentary manganese tracts
    - Permissive tract—sedMn01
- 8.3 Evaporite Deposits
- 8.3A Potash
  - 8.3A.1 Descriptive deposit model
  - 8.3A.2 Mineral Resource Tracts
    - Permissive Tract AFK-01.
- 8.3B Halite
  - 8.3B.1 Descriptive deposit models
  - 8.3B.2 Mineral Resource Tracts
- 8.4 Sedimentary phosphorite
  - 8.4.1 Descriptions of phosphorite deposit models
  - 8.4.2 Known sedimentary phosphorite occurrences
- 8.5 Celestite
  - 8.5.1 Description of celestite deposit model
- 8.6 Barite (including bedded and vein barite)
  - 8.6.1 Bedded Barite and associated deposit models
  - 8.6.2 Description of barite deposits and occurrences
- 8.7 Native Sulfur
  - 8.7.1 Descriptive deposit models for native sulfur
  - 8.7.2 Description of Sulfur Occurrences and Deposits
  - 8.7.3 Description of Sulfur Tracts
- 8.8 Gypsum
  - 8.8.1 Descriptive gypsum deposit models
    - Permissive tract—AFGy-01 (Preliminary)
- 8.9 Borates
9.0 Deposits related to regionally metamorphosed rocks (PDF — 3,059 KB, 42 pages)
- 9.1 Low-sulfide gold-quartz
  - 9.1.1 Descriptions of low-sulfide gold-quartz vein deposit model
  - 9.1.2 Geology of Borate Deposits
    - Lacustrine borate permissive area
  - 9.1.3 Description of low-sulfide gold-quartz vein tracts
    - Permissive tract—gold01 Badakshan
      - Favorable tract gold01-f1
      - Prospective tract gold01-p1 Chilkorshar
      - Favorable tract gold01-f2
      - Prospective tract gold01-p2 Shengan
      - Favorable tract gold-f3
      - Prospective tract gold01-p3 Kadar-Neshebdu-Vekadur.
      - Prospective tract gold01-p4 Furmorah-Nakhchir-Par
      - Favorable tract gold01-f4
    - Permissive tract—gold02 Pusida
    - Permissive tract—gold04 Archean
- 9.2 Natural Graphite
  - 9.2.1 Description of Graphite Deposit Descriptive Models
  - 9.2.2 Description of Graphite Assessment Tracts
    - Permissive tract dvg0—Natural graphite in Archean age high-grade metamorphic rocks
    - Permissive tract dvg02— Natural graphite in Middle Proterozoic to Cambrian age high-grade metamorphic rocks
    - Permissive tract: dvg03—Natural graphite in low-grade metamorphic rocks
    - Permissive tract mcg01— Microcrystalline graphite in contact metamorphic rocks
- 9.3 Metasomatic and Metamorphic Talc and Magnesite
  - 9.3.1 Talc and Magnesite Deposit Models
  - 9.3.2 Mineral-resource tract for metamorphic and metasomatic magnesite and talc
10.0 Deposits related to surficial processes and unconformities. (PDF — 10,941 KB, 215 pages)
- 10.1 Bauxite
  - 10.1.1 Description of Bauxite Deposit Models
  - 10.1.2 Description of Bauxite Assessment Areas
    - Tract ID: bxt01—Laterite-type bauxite areas
    - Tract ID: bxt02—Karst-type bauxite areas
- 10.2 Placer gold deposits
  - 10.2.1 Description of placer gold deposit model
  - 10.2.2 Description of placer gold tracts
    - Permissive tract—pgold01 Takhar
    - Permissive tract—pgold02 Zarkashan
- 10.3 Preliminary assessment of sand and gravel resources of Afghanistan
  - 10.3.1 Summary of methodology
    - Sand and gravel deposits types
    - Models used for assessment
    - Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS)
    - Sand and gravel assessment limitations
  - 10.3.2 Sand and Gravel Assessment by Basins in Afghanistan
11.0 Dimension Stone (PDF — 1,370 KB, 26 pages)
- 11.1 Description of dimension stone deposit models
- 11.2 Description of dimension stone tracts
  - 11.0.1 Granite
    - Permissive tract dms01 Granite
    - Favorable tract dms01-f1 Granite
  - 11.0.2 Limestone
    - Permissive tract: dms02 limestone
    - Favorable tract dms01-f1 limestone
  - 11.0.3 Marble
    - Permissive tract dms03 marble permissive tract
    - Favorable tract dms01-f1 marble favorable tract
  - 11.0.4 Travertine
    - Permissive tract dms04 travertine
    - Favorable dms04-f1 Travertine
    - Favorable dms04-f2 Travertine
  - 11.0.5 Sandstone
    - Permissive tract dms05 sandstone
    - Favorable tract dms05-f1 sandstone
12.0 Precious and semi-precious stones (PDF — 1,001 KB, 17 pages)
- 12.1 Emeralds
  - 12.1.1 Description of emerald veins model.
  - 12.1.2 Emerald tract description
    - Permissive tract—gem01
  - 12.2 Ruby, sapphire, and spinel
  - 12.3 Lazurite (lapis lazuli)
  - 12.4 Gems in pegmatites
    - 12.4.1 Tourmaline
13.0 General References (PDF — 418 KB, 91 pages)

Appendix 1 Geographic Information System (GIS) Project to Accompany the Non-Fuel Mineral Resource Assessment of Afghanistan.

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Preliminary Non-Fuel Mineral Resource Assessment of Afghanistan 2007

GIS Data

Contents