Over the past five years, China has made substantial gains in its gold and mineral reserves, adding 168 metric tons of gold and expanding its stockpile of 12 co-mineral and associated minerals. This growth, which bolsters the nation’s resource security, was detailed in a report by the China Geological Survey (CGS), a branch of the Ministry of Natural Resources, released on Sunday.
The CGS highlighted major breakthroughs in gold exploration, including the discovery of 102.4 tons of gold in the Anbalibei mining area in Gansu province, 41.3 tons in the Hadamengou mining area in Inner Mongolia, and 24.3 tons in Heilongjiang province’s Baoxinggou mining area. These findings, categorized as super-large and large-scale deposits, represent a significant addition to China’s gold reserves.
Funded by the central government, the exploration efforts utilized advanced technologies, cutting-edge geological theories, and enhanced computational capabilities. Since 2021, targeted exploration in key metallogenic zones, such as Jiaodong, and prominent gold-rich areas like Hadamengou, led to the identification of 47 target zones, with 35 of them recommended for further exploration, the CGS reported.
These new discoveries are expected to deepen the understanding of China’s national gold deposit patterns and expand the scope of future gold exploration, with the potential to drive economic development in regional areas.
In addition to gold, the CGS also reported a significant increase in the nation’s reserves of 12 co-mineral and associated minerals, such as gallium, germanium, and indium. Co-minerals are those found within the same deposit and deemed viable for industrial use after assessment, while associated minerals are initially substandard but can be repurposed following processing.
Since 2021, the CGS has worked with over 100 regional divisions across 27 provinces to reassess 703 active mines and 1,148 medium- and large-sized mining areas. This effort has led to a marked rise in the reserves of these low-grade minerals.
Notable increases include cobalt and rhenium reserves, which have more than doubled, along with a 30% increase in nickel and indium reserves. Other minerals, including gallium, germanium, vanadium, and potassium salt, saw rises of over 10%.
Further, newly identified reserves of gold as co-mineral and associated resources have surpassed 1,200 tons, while vanadium reserves grew by more than 12 million tons, and potassium salt reserves increased by over 160 million tons. These developments are seen as pivotal in securing China’s domestic mineral resources and supporting future production.
According to the CGS, this reevaluation provides a more accurate picture of China’s current resource reserves, which is crucial for strengthening the nation’s long-term mineral resource security.
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