If Armenia’s critical minerals are in the spotlight of the US today, shale reserves may also return to the agenda tomorrow

Doctor of Political Science, Professor Vahe Davtyan wrote:

“If today Armenia’s critical minerals are in the focus of the United States, tomorrow shale reserves, which many have already forgotten about, may also return to the agenda.

Meanwhile, American interest in Armenia’s shale resources has a long history.

Back in 1995, within the framework of the ‘Energy’ target program, the RA Government decided to carry out geological exploration work in order to assess and develop the industrial potential of combustible shale, oil, gas and coal reserves discovered during the Soviet years. However, the initiative, due to the financial and economic crisis of the 1990s, remained unfinished.

In 2011, a memorandum was signed between the RA Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the Isle of Man-registered company International Minerals & Mines Ltd, the main purpose of which was to study possible ways of exploring and developing shale reserves in Armenia. The agreement provided for a joint assessment and technical study of energy resources, including possible shale gas reserves.

However, geological exploration by the American side in Armenia had begun long before the signing of the aforementioned memorandum.

According to studies by the US Geological Survey, there are about 44 million tons of combustible shale reserves in the Aramus region. American specialists reached this conclusion as a result of research conducted in 1994.

In a 2005 report, the American side had already presented higher estimates, indicating the presence of 17-18 million tons of shale reserves in Ijevan, Shamut and Jermanis, and about 128 million tons in the Dilijan region.

Today, in the conditions of increasing geoeconomic activity carried out by the United States in Armenia, a gradual expansion of American interest in the entire complex of strategic resources of Armenia is possible – from critical minerals to shale reserves.

“Everything is increasingly taking on a new character of resource colonization. TRIPP is one of the pillars of that strategy.”