Zhonghongwang.com:

Over the past decade, China has implemented the strategic action of mineral exploration. What role does this action play in improving the guarantee of mineral resources? What are the future considerations? Thank you.

Yu Haifeng:

Thank you for your concerns about the mineral prospecting work. To implement the important instructions by General Secretary Xi Jinping and to guarantee the safety of national energy and resources, since 2011, we have organized and carried out strategic actions of mineral prospecting in accordance with the requirements of the State Council, and has developed a batch of strategic areas for important mineral resources in the past decade. Under the continuous increase in mining operation and consumption, the reserved resources of major minerals have generally increased. The specific data are as follows:

First, 23 large oil fields of 100 million metric tons and 28 large gas fields of 100 billion cubic meters were newly discovered, and 32 new non-oil and gas resource bases were also found.

Second, the newly proven geological reserves of petroleum in the western regions accounted for more than half of the country's total, and the output accounted for about one-third of the country's total. The newly proven geological reserves and natural gas production in western regions accounted for more than 80% of the country's total. Offshore oil and gas production accounted for about a quarter of the country. Especially in 2021, the crude oil output of Bohai Oilfield exceeded 30 million metric tons, and the new output increased significantly. In particular, we have founded 32 non-oil and gas mineral resource bases, and 25 of them are located in the western part of China.

Third, the added resources of over 80 old mines have reached large and medium-sized scale, and the service life of nearly 800 production mines has been extended to varying degrees.

Fourth, China's basic geological survey work has been improved. The coverage rate of the 1:50,000 regional geological survey has increased from 24.7% to 45.5%, and the survey work of important prospecting and prospective areas has been thoroughly surveyed.

Fifth, scientific research achievements, such as "the innovation of geological theory and the major breakthrough in prospecting of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau" and the "trinity" prospecting prediction theory in solid mineral exploration areas, have greatly supported domestic prospecting activities.

Sixth, we have issued the "three rates" target requirements for 124 mineral varieties such as coal and iron, and selected and promoted 360 advanced and applicable technologies, processes and equipment. As a result, the recovery rates of petroleum, solid minerals, and ore beneficiation have increased by 9 percentage points, 8 percentage points, and 9.5 percentage points on average, respectively.

Seventh, we have promoted the revision of the "Mineral Resources Law," deepened reform on the mining rights transferring system, and formed new standards for the classification of mineral resources and reserves.

For the next step, the MNR will resolutely implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, carry out the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, collaborate with relevant departments to launch a new round of mineral exploration campaigns with more focus on scarce strategic resources, enhance fundamental geological work, strengthen prospecting, especially accurate prospecting, and give full play to the role of various market entities so as to improve our ability to secure strategic mineral resources. 

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