After a fifteen-year hiatus, the Mes Aynak copper mine operations will commence, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said.

The spokesman for the Ministry, Homayoun Afghan, on X said that the practical work on the mines will resume by the end of the current week.
Afghan has not provided further information or details on the nature of the potential resumption of work.

“The contracted company has been obligated to start the operations of this world-level major copper mine and its 100 percent process in accordance with the 2008 commitments by the end of this week,” his X post reads.

Previously, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum estimated the site in Logar to hold over 11.5 million tons (metric) of copper, while the Chamber of Industries and Mines also said that with the start of the extraction process of the Aynak copper mine, job opportunities will be created for thousands of individuals.

This large mine is located 40 kilometers to the southeast of Kabul in Logar province, which contains the world's second-largest copper reserve and is considered a major source of Afghanistan's natural wealth.

The contract for the Mes Aynak mine has been signed with the Chinese company, MCC for 30 years but its extraction was not completed due to various reasons, including the discovery of ancient artifacts in this area during the previous government.