China discovers huge uranium deposit in Ordos Basin

BEIJING: China has discovered a substantial uranium deposit in the Jingchuan area of the Ordos Basin in the northwestern region of the country, the China Geological Survey under the Ministry of Natural Resources announced in a press release sent to the Global Times.

The discovery will significantly increase the country’s uranium resources and effectively enhance the security of uranium resources in the country, according to the press release.

The discovery represents the first ultra-large uranium deposit found in a region dominated by aeolian sandstone in the world. Such landforms are also prevalent in other petroliferous areas in China, such as the Tarim, Junggar, and Songliao basins.

It is also a major step forward in the exploration of new types of uranium mines since the implementation of the country’s new round of strategic actions for mineral exploration breakthroughs, the China Geological Survey said.

The China Geological Survey, in collaboration with provincial, regional, and municipal geological exploration departments and mining enterprises, is also exploring new lithium mines nationwide.

It announced on Wednesday that China’s progress in lithium exploration has boosted its global share of lithium reserves from 6 to 16.5 percent, raising its ranking from sixth to second. This has reshaped the distribution of lithium resources worldwide, laying a solid foundation for the rapid development of China’s new energy industry.

Significant recent discoveries include a 2,800-kilometer lithium belt in West Kunlun-Songpan-Ganzi in the country’s western area. The lithium belt alone has cumulative proven reserves of more than 6.5 million tons, with resource potential exceeding 30 million tons, greatly enriching the variety of lithium ores in China.

In addition, China’s newly identified salt lake lithium resources amount to more than 14 million tons, making it the world’s third-largest salt lake lithium resource hub, following the “lithium triangle” of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile in South America and the western region of the US, the China Geological Survey said.