Geochemistry of Granites and Pegmatites of the North-Western Kalba (Eastern Kazakhstan): Implications for the Exploration of Rare-Metal Mineralization

The article presents the results of research conducted on several rare metal deposits and ore occurrences within the North-Western Kalba region (Eastern Kazakhstan). The high demand for rare metals such as Li, Ta, Cs, Be, and Sn, and the limited knowledge about this region are the driving factors behind the interest in this area. The article presents the results of geological and geochemical studies of granites and pegmatites within several ore occurrences. The granites of the 3rd phase of the Kalba complex are enriched with muscovite and show increased concentrations of Be, Nb, Ta, Mo, and W. The rare-metal pegmatites contain spodumene and are also characterized by increased concentrations of Be, Sn, Nb, Ta, and Mo in comparison to granites. Based on the evaluation of the obtained results, it is concluded that all the rare metal deposits in North-Western Kalba formed through a unified process of differentiation of the parental magmas of the Kalba granite complex. It is suggested that the North-Western Kalba region could be considered promising for the discovery of new rare metal deposits. Recommendations on approaches to the exploration of rare metal deposits in this area are proposed.