Sichuan boasts complex geologic structure, sound minerogenetic conditions, rich mineral resources and complete in type. It has strong mineral resource supply capacity, being a major province of mineral resource producing and processing in Western China and even the whole world. There are 82 mine types (101 sub-mine types) with reserve proven, of which 29 types are among national top three in terms of proven reserves. Its 16 competitive minerals including natural gas, vanadium, titanium, light rare earth, iron pyrite, mirabilite and rock salt rank No. 1 in China in terms of proven reserves. And 6 mineral products including graphite and asbestos rank No. 2.
Characteristics of mineral resources of Sichuan: First, total resource quantity is large but per capita availability is lower than the national level; types of resources are complete but many types are low in reserves. Except for vanadium titano-magnetite, rock salt, mirabilite, lead and zinc, sulphur, iron ore, asbestos, mica, gold, phosphorus, cement limestone, etc., could meet the development need, most are low in reserve, quality and number of proven mines; second, large or super large deposits are centralized in distribution, show significant regional features, good for forming the comprehensive raw materials sites. Minerals products are centralized in southwest (Panxi region), south and northwest parts of Sichuan, which are of their respective characteristics: with competitive minerals of black and nonferrous metals and rare earth, and rich and properly combined other minerals, southwestern Sichuan is one of China’s metallurgy base; being rich in coal, sulfur, phosphorus, rock salt and natural gas and other non-metallic ores, southern Sichuan is one of the chemical industrial bases in China; western Sichuan is rich in rare and noble metals (lithium, beryllium, gold and silver) and energy resources (uranium and peat), being a potential raw materials supplying base for cutting-edge technological products; third, some important mineral products are mostly the low-grad or quality ores, lack in high-grade ore. Except for lead, zinc, cadmium, silver, rock salt, glauberite, etc. have relatively grade, others are mostly medium and low-grade; four, there are many paragenic and associated ores, of great comprehensive utilization value but making mining and processing harder, such as the vanadium titano-magnetite in Panxi region being the iron, vanadium and titanium paragenic ores, coal ores in southern Sichuan being the coal and sulfure paragenic ores; and lithium ores in northwestern Sichuan being the lithium and beryllium paragenic ores.
(The article is provided by Sichuan Yearbook Public House, the contents are from Sichuan Statistical Yearbook 2015)
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