China's latest round of strategic mineral exploration, launched in 2021, has led to the discovery of many new large-scale mineral deposits, bolstering the country's energy security and providing solid support for its manufacturing industry, the Ministry of Natural Resources recently announced.
During the campaign, 10 new oil fields were found, each with predicted geological reserves at or above 100 million tonnes, while 19 new gas fields were identified, each with original gas in place (OGIP) estimated at or above 100 billion cubic meters.
China's uranium reserves have also increased significantly, with 10 large uranium deposits newly discovered.
The ministry also reported major breakthroughs in the exploration of bulk minerals such as copper, aluminum, and iron, which are essential to industrial development.
"Copper is a pivotal metal for industrial production. In this latest exploration campaign, newly discovered copper reserves have exceeded 30 million tonnes," said Tang Juxing, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
Meanwhile, substantial progress has been made in the exploration of strategic minerals, including lithium, zirconium, hafnium, helium, and rare earth elements, which are crucial for new energy, new materials, and aerospace industries.
"Notably, a 3,000-kilometer lithium belt has been discovered, stretching from the Gyabjeka lithium-beryllium deposit in Sichuan Province to Altun Mountain in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Estimated to hold 20 to 30 million tonnes of lithium, this discovery will ensure that the price of lithium in our country is not controlled by Western mining companies," said Tang.
China has also confirmed three large deep coal-bed methane fields in the Ordos Basin, with proven geological reserves exceeding 500 billion cubic meters.
Additionally, China has identified the world's first large-scale deep-water, shallow-layer gas field, adding over 100 billion cubic meters of proven natural gas reserves. These discoveries mark a significant step forward in enhancing China's self-sufficiency in clean energy.
China makes major breakthroughs in latest round of mineral exploration
