Recently, it was learned from the China Geological Survey of the Ministry of Natural Resources that China's new-round strategic actions for breakthroughs in mineral exploration have achieved remarkable results. Ten one-billion-ton-class oil fields and nineteen one-hundred-billion-cubic-meter-class gas fields have been discovered. Ten large-scale or above uranium deposits have been found, leading to a substantial increase in uranium resources. The resource volumes of 12 minerals, including copper, aluminum, gold, gallium, germanium, and indium, have increased significantly. Substantial breakthroughs have been made in minerals related to strategic emerging industries such as rare earths, lithium, zirconium, hafnium, and helium.
An academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) said that in the new-round of mineral exploration breakthrough actions, a "one-mineral-one-strategy" approach has been adopted for 36 minerals. There are both bulk minerals like oil, natural gas, coal, iron, and manganese, and strategic emerging minerals such as lithium and rare earths. Copper ore is the most crucial "food" for the industry. In the new-round strategic breakthroughs in mineral exploration, over 30 million tons of copper have been added nationwide, equivalent to the total amount in the previous decade. Additionally, significant breakthroughs in the exploration of strategic emerging minerals such as rare earths, lithium, zirconium, hafnium, and helium provide strong resource guarantees for the security of the industrial chains and supply chains of China's emerging industries such as new energy, new materials, and aerospace.
An academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) said that a 3000-kilometer-long lithium-ore belt has been established from Methyl Card in Sichuan to the Altun Mountains in Xinjiang. The resource volume is estimated to be between 20 million and 30 million tons, which can ensure that the price of lithium in China is not controlled by Western mining companies.
In terms of energy minerals, three one-hundred-billion-cubic-meter-class deep-layer coalbed-methane gas fields have been identified in the Ordos Basin in China, with proven geological reserves exceeding 500 billion cubic meters. The world's first ultra-deep-water and ultra-shallow large-scale gas field has been discovered, with newly-proven natural gas geological reserves exceeding 100 billion cubic meters. China's self-sufficiency in clean energy has been significantly enhanced.
Since the implementation of the new-round strategic breakthroughs in mineral exploration, various regions have focused on bulk scarce minerals and those for strategic emerging industries. A series of major mineral exploration breakthroughs have been achieved around key mineralization belts and important oil-and-gas basins. The western region has added a batch of energy-resource bases, and the resource bases of the old mining areas in the central and eastern regions have been further strengthened.
