Duddar mine

Duddar mine is Pakistan's largest underground facility for the extraction of lead and zinc, located in the mineral-rich Kanraj Tehsil of Lasbela District in southeastern Balochistan. The mine is operated by the MCC Huaye Duddar Mining Company (MHD), a joint venture between China Metallurgical Construction Group (MCC), the project's investor and developer, and China Huaye Group, which oversees construction and operations. Since 2014, the venture has modernised the site into the country's first fully operational underground metal mining project, reaching an annual production capacity of 500,000 tonnes by 2020. The maximum mining depth is 1000m and the current mining depth is 600m.

The Duddar mine hosts estimated reserves of approximately 50 million tonnes of ore, with average grades of 3.2% lead and 8.6% zinc, translating to an output potential of around 1.6 million tonnes of lead and 3.5 million tonnes of zinc. Mining operations are facilitated through a one-kilometre-deep vertical shaft with a 7.5-metre diameter and a complex internal rail system for ore extraction. The government of Balochistan has reportedly received over 1 billion Pakistani rupee in royalty payments, while the federal government has collected an additional PKR 210.5 million as presumptive tax and PKR 105.2 million as a development surcharge.

Each month, hundreds of trucks transport lead and zinc ore from the Duddar mine the 200km to Karachi, following a route that passes through to Winder and further on N-25 National Highway. From Karachi, the extracted minerals are shipped to China for refining and further processing. This logistical corridor serves as a vital link between the remote mining operations in Balochistan and international industrial supply chains.