Xi’an Center of Geological Survey, CGS (China-SCO Geosciences Cooperation Research Center):

He Zixin, External Relations Coordinator, newbox97@sina.com
Zhang Dandan, External Relations Coordinator
Liu Mingyi, Geological Engineer
Li Jianxing, Head of Department on Central Asia Geology Research

China possesses one of the world’s largest mineral resource bases. Assured resources include 159 kinds of mineral resources (10 – fuel and power resources, 54 – metal ores; 94 – nometallic minerals, 3 – groundwater). As for 24 kinds of minerals, China is among the top three countries of the world and takes the first place in the world with respect to 7 minerals (coal, tungsten, tin, rare earths, and others). As of 2015, undiscovered potential fuel and power resources made: oil – 125.7 Bt; inland natural gas – 90.3 Bm³, near-shore natural gas—20.8 Bt3; shale gas at the depth of 4500 m – 122 Bm³; coal – 2.82 Bt. China is a leading producer of metals out of which the proven reserves total, Mt: lead – 77.66; zinc – 149.85; wolfram – 9.58; tin – 4.18; molybdenum – 29.17; antimony – 2.92; rare earths – 18.59. The demonstrated reserves of metal ores are very high, Bt: iron – 85.08; manganese – 1.38; copper – 834.5; gold – 0.115. Within recent years, China has discovered many new mineral deposits, including field containing unique amounts of wealth (Kunlun lead and zinc, Pujue manganese ore, Fujian tungsten ore field, etc.). Despite the immensity of the diverse mineral reserves, the rate of the economic development in China is far ahead of the capacity of the domestic mineral wealth to off er a full support. In this connection, the government bodies of the country are set a test of the accelerated expansion of the mineral and raw materials supply base in China through intensification of geological exploration and scientific research in the field of prospecting and appraisal of alternative resources.

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