China Claims 200 Billion Tons Of Iron Ore Reserves

Survey Reports 112 New Iron Ore Prospecting Areas

China’s People Daily newspaper reports that 112 potential iron ore prospecting areas have been found in the country that are believed to contain more than 200 billion tons of iron ore reserves. This is according to a report on mineral resource surveys in 2009 issued by the China Geological Survey under the Ministry of Land and Resources.

The report shows that there are two potential prospecting areas each with over 10 billion tons of iron ore reserves, two areas with 5 to 10 billion tons, two areas with 3 to 5 billion tons and 16 areas with 1 to 3 billion tons.

These prospecting areas are mainly in Anshan and Benxi in Liaoning, eastern Hebei, Panzhihua in Sichuan, western Shandong, southwestern Fujian, Wuyang and Xincai in Henan, Lucong in Anhui and the Tianshan area in Xinjiang.

Of the areas already surveyed, it is estimated that 44 potential prospecting areas have reserves totalling 51 billion tons in Anshan and Benxi in Liaoning, where there are about 15 billion tons of proven reserves; 229 areas with potential reserves totalling more than 20 billion tons in eastern Hebei, where there are currently more than 6 billion tons of proven reserves; and 19 areas with potential reserves totaling over 19 billion tons in Panzhihua, Sichuan, where there are already more than 10 billion tons of proven iron ore reserves.

The largest of these prospecting areas have been incorporated into the country’s overall prospecting plan of mineral resource projects.