Barrick Mining says security conditions around Pakistan’s Reko Diq copper-gold project need to improve before the company can move ahead with a full construction schedule, adding another condition to the timeline for one of the country’s largest planned mining investments.
Barrick chief executive Mark Hill said the company would need to see “some sort of security improvement” before embarking on a full construction schedule, according to reporting on his comments. He did not announce a new timetable for full-scale construction.
The comments provide a fresh indication of the factors Barrick is weighing as it reviews the pace and scope of development at Reko Diq in Balochistan.
Construction timetable remains under review
Barrick had already said in April that it was slowing development activity at Reko Diq and extending its review of the project into mid-2027.
At the time, the company said the review would consider security, capital requirements, financing, project scope and timing. Barrick nevertheless continued to describe Reko Diq as a long-term asset with significant potential.
Hill’s latest comments make clear that security conditions remain part of the decision over when the project can return to a full construction schedule.
The distinction is important: the comments do not amount to a cancellation of Reko Diq, nor do they establish a new completion date. They describe a condition Barrick says must improve before it commits to the full pace of construction.
Why Reko Diq matters
Reko Diq is a major undeveloped copper-gold deposit in Balochistan and has been positioned as a potentially important source of export earnings and foreign investment for Pakistan.
The project is jointly owned by Barrick and Pakistani stakeholders. Its scale means changes to the construction timetable can have implications for planned investment, financing, employment and the timing of future mineral exports.
Large mining projects also require extensive infrastructure and long construction periods before commercial production begins, making financing and execution schedules particularly important.
Security now part of the execution question
Barrick’s latest position does not by itself establish how conditions around the project will develop. It does, however, identify security improvement as one of the requirements the company is considering before moving to full construction.
For Pakistan, the immediate issue is therefore when the company will be prepared to commit to a complete construction schedule and what conditions will need to be met first.
Until Barrick completes its broader review and provides a revised timetable, the timing of full-scale development remains uncertain.