澳大利亚正考虑通过直接投资、合资企业以及自然资源研发领域的机构合作，重返巴基斯坦的采矿与矿产行业。 澳大利亚此前已在巴基斯坦的矿产和自然资源领域开展业务，主要涉及所有资源丰富的地区，包括俾路支省、吉尔吉特-巴尔蒂斯坦以及阿扎德克什米尔，重点在于研究与勘探工作。这些努力已探明了铜、金、煤、锌等关键矿产以及石油、天然气等其他宝贵资源的重要储量。 澳大利亚必和必拓公司与巴基斯坦地质调查局的合资企业，曾发现了价值数十亿美元的雷克迪克铜金矿床，该矿床目前正由加拿大巴里克黄金公司开发以进行商业生产。 根据一份官方声明，澳大利亚驻巴基斯坦高级专员尼尔·霍金斯于周一会见了石油部长阿里·帕尔韦兹·马利克，双方讨论了扩大两国在能源和采矿领域双边合作的事宜，重点涉及投资、技术转让和技能培养。 霍金斯先生表示，澳大利亚矿业公司对巴基斯坦的矿产资源丰富地区抱有浓厚兴趣，并提议澳大利亚的大学、矿业企业与巴基斯坦相关机构开展合作，提供现代采矿技术及服务方面的专业培训项目。他认为，这一举措将提升当地的专业技能水平，为巴基斯坦矿业部门的发展提供支持。 马利克先生对该提议表示赞赏，并向高级专员保证，巴基斯坦重视澳大利亚先进的采矿能力和技术知识，欢迎有助于提升本地能力、吸引矿产与能源领域投资的合作关系。这位部长还承诺将全力支持此类合作的推进。 双方同意加强机构间联系，探索在能源和采矿领域开展合资合作，以促进两国经济共同增长，并希望尽快互派代表团进行深入磋商。此外，澳大利亚正通过知识共享和技术支持帮助巴基斯坦开发水资源，已协助印度河系统管理局（Irsa）建立了水资源可利用量评估工具，以及用于监测河流、主要水库和水利枢纽水流情况的遥测网络。 20世纪90年代初，巴基斯坦地质调查局与澳大利亚必和必拓公司合作，探明了雷克迪克地区的矿藏。之后在2000年，澳大利亚特提斯矿业公司（TCC）从必和必拓手中接管了该项目，通过国际上市融资3000万美元，钻探超过7.5万米以探明储量。必和必拓当时也因全球业务重组退出了巴基斯坦市场。 后来，特提斯矿业公司被全球两大铜金矿开采企业——智利的安托法加斯塔公司和加拿大的巴里克黄金公司以1.3亿美元收购。巴基斯坦与这两家矿业公司在穆沙拉夫时期签署的协议曾陷入纠纷，随后通过国际仲裁和庭外和解解决了罚款问题并重启项目。原本计划2010年投产的雷克迪克项目，因此至少推迟了15年。 ISLAMABAD: After more than a decade, Australia is considering returning to Pakistan’s mining and mineral sector through direct investments, joint ventures, and institutional collaboration for the research and development of natural resources. Australia has been operating in Pakistan’s mineral and natural resources sector, primarily in all resource-rich regions, including Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir, with a focus on research and exploration. This effort has identified critical reserves of copper, gold, coal, zinc, and other precious resources, including oil and gas. Australian BHP Billiton’s joint venture with the Geological Survey of Pakistan led to the discovery of the multi-billion-dollar Reko Diq copper-gold deposits, now being developed for commercial production by Barrick Gold Corporation of Canada. Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Neil Hawkins called on Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik on Monday and discussed matters relating to the expansion of bilateral cooperation in energy and mining, with a focus on investment, technology transfer, and skills development, according to an official statement. Mr Hawkins expressed strong interest from Australian mining companies in Pakistan’s mineral-rich regions and proposed collaboration between Australian universities, mining firms, and Pakistani institutions to provide specialised training programmes in modern mining techniques and services. This initiative, he believed, would enhance local expertise and support the development of Pakistan’s mining sector. Mr Malik appreciated the proposal and assured the High Commissioner that Pakistan valued Australia’s advanced mining capabilities and technical knowledge, and would welcome partnerships that build local capacity and attract investment in the mineral and energy sectors. The minister also assured full support for facilitating such collaborations. Both sides agreed to strengthen institutional linkages and explore joint ventures in energy and mining for mutual economic growth and hoped to exchange delegations soon for in-depth discussions. Australia is also assisting Pakistan in water resources through a knowledge base and technology, and has helped the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) to establish water availability assessment tools and a telemetry network for monitoring water flows in rivers and at major reservoirs and headworks. The Geological Survey of Pakistan identified the presence of mineral deposits in the Reko Diq area in early 1990s in collaboration with BHP Billiton of Australia. Later in 2000, Tethyan Corporation (TCC) of Australia took over the project from BHP and invested $30 million by raising funds through an international listing, drilling over 75,000 meters to prove the reserves. BHP had also left Pakistan under its global restructuring. The TCC has subsequently been acquired by two of the world’s largest copper and gold mining firms — Antofagasta of Chile and Barrick Gold Corporation of Canada — for $130 million at the time. The agreement between Pakistan and the two mining firms, signed during the Musharraf era, ran into trouble, leading to international arbitration and an out-of-court settlement for penalties and project revival. In the process, the Reko Diq project, originally due for production in 2010, was delayed by at least 15 years.  |
