Introduction
A Journey Into the Mountains
To find a good product that we can export to other countries we have to do a lot of hard work. This means we have to get up early in the morning when it is still very cold climb up steep paths in the mountains where the air is thin sleep in simple homes made of mud in small villages and use donkeys to carry heavy bags of mineral samples. That is what we did when we went on a trip to the mountains of Quetta, Balochistan.. We found something very interesting. A chance to export something that businesses, in Pakistan should really think about.
In this blog we will tell you what we saw when we visited places where people are mining for copper and manganese in Balochistan. We will explain why copper is an important mineral that many countries want to buy. We will also tell you what it takes to turn rocks from the mountains into something that can be sold to countries and bring in money.
Why Copper Understanding the Global Demand
Before we start let us talk about copper. Copper is really important for our world today. It is used in lots of things like
- Electrical wiring and power infrastructure
- vehicles and charging stations
- Construction and plumbing
- Consumer. Smartphones
- Renewable energy systems like panels and wind turbines
The whole world is trying to use green energy and become more electric. Because of this people want a lot of copper. The truth is that even if we make a lot of copper it is not enough for everyone. People in countries especially in China, South Korea and the Gulf are looking for copper from South Asian countries.
For people in Pakistan who export things this is a good chance for them to sell copper. Copper is very important and people need it so Pakistani exporters have an opportunity, with copper.
Our Expedition From Karachi to the Mountains of Balochistan
We started our trip in Kota, which’s near Quetta. That is where we met people who mine and live in this area. They have been doing this work for a time. We had a breakfast and talked to a man named Qasim. He was very interested in talking to us. He even asked us questions about rice and minerals that are exported from this region. After that we got in our vehicle. Drove towards the places where they mine.
The Road Less Traveled
As we went higher into the mountains it got really cold. It was cold in the morning. It got even colder as we went up. By the time we got to the top it was almost freezing.. The view was amazing. We could see mountains everywhere.
We drove our vehicle far as it could go. Then we had to get out and walk. Our trip, on foot was just beginning. We were going to the Mountains of Balochistan. We were excited to see what we would find.
Inside the Mines What We Found
Copper Mine High Altitude, High Value
The copper mine we went to is really high up. We had to climb a steep hill to get there and it was hard even for the local people who are used to it. The air is very thin at that height. It feels like every step is harder to take.
It was worth all the trouble.
Inside the copper mine the workers do everything by hand. They also use controlled blasting to get the copper-bearing rocks out of the mountain. Then they sort the rocks by hand which’s a very hard thing to do. You need to have a lot of experience to know which rocks have copper in them and which ones do not.
“The important thing is to pick the right rocks. The workers are the ones who can do this because they know how to tell which ones are good.”
No cars can go up to this height so they put all the rocks they take out of the mountain on donkeys. Take them down the mountain. Then they send them to Karachi to be made into something
The Sorting and Sizing Process
When the raw copper ore gets to our warehouse in Karachi that is when we start to make it really valuable:
- We sort the rocks to separate the ones from the bad ones
- We. Sort the stones based on what the customers want
- We check the quality to make sure it is good enough to sell to countries
This step is very important. If we send rocks that’re not valuable it will cost us a lot of money to transport them so we have to be very good, at sorting the copper ore to make money.
Other Minerals Discovered Chromite, Manganese & More
Our survey was not about copper. The mountains in Balochistan are full of types of minerals. When we were there we found some other things too like:
Chromite
We found a place with chromite in it. The quality was not that great. It is still worth taking out because people are willing to pay for it. If we plan it right and take out a lot of it we can still make money from it even if the quality is not that good.
Manganese
We also went to see the manganese mine. This mine has been giving us minerals to sell to countries for a long time. Manganese is used to make steel and batteries so a lot of people want to buy it.
Silica / Soapstone (We Are Waiting For Test Results)
We found a white rock that might be silica or soapstone. We brought some of it back, to Karachi to see what it is. When we get the results we will know if we have found another mineral that we can sell to countries.
The Real Cost of Mining What Exporters Must Understand
Mining is really tough. It needs a lot of money it is hard work and it can be very risky. Here is what we learned from our experience on the ground:
1. You Have to Do a Geological Survey
Before you put money into any mine you need to do a geological survey and get a drilling report. A lot of miners start work without doing this and it leads to big mistakes. If you use excavators and heavy machinery in the place you can waste a lot of money and get nothing back.
2. Where the Mine is Located Can Make Things Very Expensive
When a mine is in a remote place like many of the mines, in Balochistan it is very hard to get things done. There are no roads, no cars it is very cold. The ground is very rough. All these things make it more expensive to get the material out. Every kilogram of material that makes it to the port has had a long and hard journey.
3. It is Better to Have Good Quality Material Than a Lot of Material
Sending quality material to other countries is not a good idea. You should always try to send high quality material that is sorted properly and meets the buyers needs. This is where having experience and being patient really helps.
4. You Need to Be Patient and Keep Trying
What we learned on our trip is that experienced exporters have to be willing to walk in the mountains sleep in simple houses and eat simple food heated on a wood fire. The work is hard the challenges are real.. The rewards are real too.
The Human Side Local Communities and Hospitality
One of the parts of our trip was the amazing way the local mountain communities treated us. They live simple lives but they made us feel so welcome. They gave us food made sure we were warm and even gave us a place to sleep when we were really tired.
These people work hard and their jobs are connected to the mining industry. When the mining industry does well it is not the people in charge who benefit. It also helps the village by giving people jobs, money and a sense of pride in what they do. This is especially true in some of the remote areas of Pakistan like the small villages in the mountains. Local communities and hospitality are really important, to these people. It shows in the way they live their lives. Local communities are the heart of Pakistans remote areas.
Why Balochistan is Pakistans export mineral treasure
Balochistan takes up half of Pakistans land. It is thought to have some of the mineral deposits in all of Asia. You can find these things in Balochistan:
- Copper and gold deposits, like the Reko Diq
- Chromite reserves
- Manganese deposits
- Coal fields
- Natural gas reserves
- Iron ore and silica and a lot more
But the sad thing is that a lot of this wealth is still not being used. This is because not enough people are investing in it and the roads and other things that are needed are not there. Also the people who are doing the work do not have the skills. For people who want to start a business and sell things to countries and who are willing to work really hard this is a great chance to be the first ones to do it. Balochistan is really Pakistans export mineral treasure.
Getting Started How to Enter the Mineral Export Business
If you want to get into the mineral export business from Balochistan here are the things you need to do:
- First you need to find out what minerals people want to buy and which countries they want to buy them from.
- You have to make friends with the mining people because it is very important to know them in this business.
- Then you should pay for a survey to be done properly you should never put your money into something without knowing it is a good idea.
- After that you need to sort out how you will move the minerals around and where you will store them Karachi is the place where people sort and send out minerals.
- You also need to understand the rules about exporting minerals because the government in Pakistan has rules about this and you need to follow them.
- Finally you need to make friends with the people who are going to buy the minerals from you they want to know that they will get quality minerals and that you can send them regularly so you need to build a good relationship with the buyers the mineral export business is all about mineral exports and you need to be good, at it.
Conclusion: The Mountain Holds the Answer
Our trip to the mountains of Balochistan was really tough. It was cold and hard on our bodies.. We found out what we already thought: Pakistan has a lot of natural resources that are very valuable. One of the important things Pakistan can sell to other countries is copper.
People all around the world want to buy copper and this is not going to change. The world is trying to use energy and this means people will want even more copper. The question is, can people from Pakistan sell copper to countries and take advantage of this opportunity?
We think the answer is yes. We will keep writing about our journey to the mountains of Balochistan. We will share what we learn about copper and help people, in Pakistan understand how to get copper from the mountains and sell it to countries.
