5-year haul boosts nation's stash of gold, natural mineral resources

China has added 168 metric tons of gold resources and significantly increased reserves of 12 co-mineral or associated minerals over the past five years, bolstering the nation's resource security, the China Geological Survey said Sunday.

The CGS, a division of the Ministry of Natural Resources, announced breakthroughs in gold exploration, including the discovery of 102.4 tons in the Anbalibei mining area in Gansu province, 41.3 tons in the Hadamengou mining area in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and 24.3 tons in the Baoxinggou mining area in Heilongjiang province. The resources have been classified as super-large and large-scale deposits.

The exploration, funded by the central government, leveraged advanced technologies, geological theories and computing power. Since 2021, as a result of efforts centered on key metallogenic zones such as Jiaodong and major gold resource bases like Hadamengou, 47 target areas have been identified and 35 have been recommended for further exploration, the CGS said.

These findings have expanded the scope of gold exploration and deepened the understanding of national gold deposit patterns, the CGS said.

The breakthroughs are expected to guide local enterprises in future exploration, potentially spurring regional socioeconomic development.

In addition to gold, national reserves of 12 co-mineral and associated low-grade mineral resources, including gallium, germanium and indium, have significantly increased, according to the CGS.

Co-minerals are resources found within the same deposit that, after evaluation, reach concentrations suitable for industrial use. Associated minerals are those present in primary minerals that do not initially meet industrial standards but can be reused after processing, the CGS said.

Since 2021, the CGS has collaborated with more than 100 divisions across 27 provincial regions to reassess 703 active mines and 1,148 medium-sized and large mining areas. This has resulted in substantial increases in co-mineral and associated mineral low-grade reserves.

Compared to previous estimates, reserves of cobalt and rhenium have increased by more than 100 percent, nickel and indium by over 30 percent, and gallium, germanium, vanadium and potassium salt by more than 10 percent, the CGS said.

The increase in gold, tantalum, rare earths and zirconium is also notable. Newly identified gold reserves as co-mineral or associated mineral resources have exceeded 1,200 tons, while vanadium reserves have increased by more than 12 million tons, and potassium salt by over 160 million tons, the CGS said.

The reevaluation establishes the current reserves of co-mineral and associated low-grade resources, supporting increased future production and strengthening domestic mineral resource security, the CGS said.