The China National Mineral Assessment Initiative

• Published in: Ore geology reviews Vol. 91; pp. 1084 - 1093
• Main Authors: Xiao, Keyan, Xing, Shuwen, Bagas, Leon, Sun, Li, Li, Nan, Yin, Jiangning, Cui, Ning, Cong, Yuan, Li, Jian, Chen, Yuchuan, Ye, TianZhu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.12.2017
• Subjects: Assessment of mineral resources; Combination of multiple datasets; Mineral deposit models; Mineral potential maps; Modelling; Combination of multiple datasets; Mineral deposit models; Mineral potential maps; Modelling; Assessment of mineral resources
• ISSN: 0169-1368; 1872-7360
• DOI: 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.08.036

[Display omitted] •Summarize 80 deposit models for known ore deposits in China.•Target mineral potential maps and perspective resources for 25 major kinds of metals in China.•Develop new suite of tool for mineral resource assessment. The assessment of the mineral resources by the China National Mineral Assessment Initiative was completed between 2007 and 2013. The initiative’s aim is to compile mineral prospectivity maps and estimate the total (known and unknown) resources available and mineral types for 25 of the most prospective strategic minerals located in China. The project includes the construction of deposit models applied to various types of mineralisation, such as supergene, sedimentary, and hydrothermal mineralisation. The “Integrated information assessment” methods based on the “deposit model” approach was developed and is introduced in this contribution. Eighty mineral deposit models have been developed, documented, and included in a geographic information system (GIS). The models are applied to at least 1000 known deposits in China, and are used to calculate the geological parameters for and statistics of multiple spatial datasets for mineral deposits at a regional scale of 1:200,000. The initiative will be expanded in the future to an assessment of China’s mineral potential to a minimum depth of <2000m in anticipation of an increased demand for minerals in the future.