China targets deeper copper-gold reserves with planned 1.8-mile scientific drill

East China could gain a major local source of copper and gold after an exploration campaign mapped a large ore body at the Chating deposit in Xuancheng, Anhui Province. The findings could support a production base serving nearby smelters, cable manufacturers and new-energy industries, according to CCTV News. China’s Ministry of Natural Resources announced the findings on Tuesday, following more than 70 drilling operations completed in four months this year. The campaign established the scale of the Shangchang village ore body within the Chating mining area and pointed to further resources beneath and around the deposit. Drilling reveals extensive mineralization The main ore body identified so far measures approximately 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) long and 1.1 kilometers (0.68 miles) wide. Mineralization encountered in a single drill hole exceeded 1,370 meters in thickness, while one exploration hole extended beyond 2,000 meters. Chating is currently the largest identified porphyry copper-gold deposit in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, according to the report. The ministry described its copper resources as equivalent to several large copper mines and its gold resources as exceeding those of 10 large gold mines. The figures cited for comparison were 500,000 tons of copper and 20 tons of gold per large mine. Local supply for industrial demand Lin Bin, the exploration site’s technical lead and a deputy laboratory director at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, said the campaign had clarified the deposit’s deeper and surrounding resource potential. “Discovering a copper-gold deposit of this scale in the heartland of the Yangtze River Delta gives it particularly strong geographical and infrastructure advantages,” Lin said. The delta hosts major copper smelting, cable manufacturing and new-energy industries, but has relatively limited locally sourced copper and gold. Much of its copper concentrate arrives from western China or overseas, adding transportation costs and exposing supply chains to international market and geopolitical disruptions. Developing Chating could bring raw materials closer to those users. Lin said the exploration work aims to help mining enterprises increase reserves and production, strengthening the region’s ability to supply its own mineral needs. The deposit also contains silver and sulfur, which could be recovered alongside copper and gold to improve resource use. Lin said its relatively high gold grades add to its development potential. A deeper search beneath volcanic basins Beyond the resource findings, the campaign could broaden exploration in eastern China’s volcanic basins. According to the report, the discovery challenges the traditional geological view that extensive volcanic basins are unlikely to contain large porphyry copper-gold deposits. It also highlights mineral potential associated with the Yanshanian Orogeny along the middle and lower Yangtze. The team plans a 3,000-meter scientific drilling project to examine the mineralization system and deeper resources beneath the continental volcanic basin. “We believe that many volcanic basins along the Yangtze River metallogenic belt could contain similar porphyry copper deposits, indicating enormous potential for further mineral exploration,” Lin said. The findings suggest that volcanic basins around Xuancheng and Nanling in Anhui, and Lishui and Liyang in Jiangsu, could warrant further investigation.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Atharva is a full-time content writer with a post-graduate degree in media & amp; entertainment and a graduate degree in electronics & telecommunications. He has written in the sports and technology domains respectively. In his leisure time, Atharva loves learning about digital marketing and watching soccer matches. His main goal behind joining Interesting Engineering is to learn more about how the recent technological advancements are helping human beings on both societal and individual levels in their daily lives.