Mineral resources are an important material basis for economic and social development, and the exploration and development of mineral resources is related to national economy and people's livelihood and national security. Recently, the reporter learned from the China Geological Survey of the Ministry of Natural Resources that my country's new round of mineral exploration breakthrough strategic action has achieved remarkable results - 1 billion-ton oil fields and 19 10 billion-meter gas fields were newly discovered; more than 10 large-scale uranium deposits were discovered, and the uranium mineral resources increased significantly; 12 mineral resources such as copper, gold, gallium, germanium, and indium have increased significantly;

There are major breakthroughs in minerals related to strategic emerging industries such as lithium, zirconium, hafnium, helium, and rare earths.

How were these precious mineral resources discovered? What is the significance to our country?

What are the important significance of the newly discovered mineral resources

to our country?

The reporter learned that in the new round of breakthrough strategic actions for mineral exploration, many new large mines have been discovered, especially copper, aluminum, lithium and other minerals, which have increased significantly.

Tang Juxing, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, introduced that in the new round of mineral exploration breakthrough action, 36 minerals adopt one mine and one policy. There are both bulk minerals such as oil, natural gas, coal, iron, and manganese, as well as strategic emerging minerals such as lithium and rare earths.

"Copper mine is the most important 'grain' for industry. In the new round of breakthrough strategic action on mineral exploration, more than 30 million tons of copper were added nationwide, which is equivalent to the sum of the previous 10 years."

In addition, a major breakthrough in the exploration of strategic emerging minerals such as lithium, zirconium, hafnium, helium, rare earths, provides strong resource guarantees for the safety of the industrial chain and supply chains of emerging industries such as new energy, new materials, aerospace, etc. in my country.

"In Alkin, Sichuan Methyl Card to Xinjiang, we have established a 3,000-kilometer-long lithium mine belt, with a resource capacity of 20 million to 30 million tons, which can ensure that our lithium price is not controlled by Western mining companies." Tang Juxing said.

In terms of energy and minerals, my country has discovered three deep coalbed methane gas fields of 100 billion cubic meters in the Ordos Basin, and the proven geological reserves have exceeded 500 billion cubic meters; it has discovered that the world's first ultra-deep water ultra-shallow large gas field has been found, with new natural gas proven geological reserves exceeding 100 billion cubic meters, and my country's clean energy self-sufficiency capacity has been significantly improved.

From 2011 to 2020, my country launched a mineral exploration breakthrough. According to relevant statistics, in this round of breakthrough action, the new oil and natural gas resources were 10.1 billion tons and 6.85 trillion cubic meters respectively, and 1.7 billion tons of large oil fields and 21 large gas fields of 100 billion cubic meters were found; the new coal resources were 526.8 billion tons and the nickel resources were 3.49 million tons, and 32 new non-oil and gas mineral resource bases were formed.