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“Health Report” On The Development and Utilization of China’s Important Mineral Resources Came Out

“Report on the development and utilization of important mineral resources” (“Report” for short) was officially brought to the public. This Report was prepared, based on specific investigation, by Zhengzhou Research Institute of Multipurpose Utilization of Mineral Resources of Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences that was assigned by Department of Mineral resources of Ministry of Land and Resources and Resource Evaluation Department of China Geological Survey.

On the basis of “three rates”, Report takes 20 types of minerals as research objects, and they are coal, iron ore, manganese ore, copper ore, lead ore, zinc ore, bauxite, nickel ore, tungsten ore, tin ore, antimony ore, molybdenum ore, rare earth ore, gold ore, phosphorite, pyrites, potash, graphite, refractory clay and fluorite ore. It comparatively analyzes the development and utilization of mineral resources both at the early stage of “13th Five-Year Plan” and that of “12th Five-Year Plan” and makes a conclusion on the advanced technologies and equipment that came forth in recent years.

Report carries out a statistical analysis on reserves-to-production ratio of major minerals in all provinces and districts, in which we may find below features of China’s mineral resources development:

Yield distribution is relatively centralized. Potash is mainly produced in Qinghai and Xinjiang, and tin ore, phosphorite, antimony ore, nickel ore, graphite, bauxite, tungsten ore, are mostly produced in four provinces who account for over 90% of national capacity, while molybdenum ore, refractory clay, pyrites, manganese ore are mostly produced in four provinces who account for over 80% of national capacity. The four provinces that cover the remaining minerals account for 60% of national capacity.

Capacity structure has been further optimized. At the early stage of “13th Five-Year Plan”, our country owned 18544 mining rights for these 20 ores, wherein, 6754 mines are in normal operation. Compared to the early stage of “12th Five-Year Plan”, operational mines of zinc more, iron ore, manganese ore, pyrites, fluorite ore, molybdenum ore, tin ore had been reduced by over 50%, operational mines of rare earth ore, nickel ore, antimony ore, coal had been reduced by over 40%, and operational mines of graphite, gold ore, copper ore, tungsten ore, potash, lead ore, refractory clay had been reduced by over 10%.

Capacity utilization has been staying at elevated levels. Total scheduled mining capacity of these 20 types of minerals is 7853 million tons/year and actual produced ore is 5716 million tons/year and the average capacity utilization is 72.79%; total scheduled beneficiation capacity is 3414 million tons/year and actual concentrated ore is 1983 million/year and the average beneficiation capacity utilization is 58.10%.

Capacity concentration has been further enhanced. Large scale mines of iron ore, zinc ore, tungsten ore and antimony ore have increased their productivity ratio by over twenty percentage point; large scale mines of nickel ore and fluorite ore have increased the their productivity ratio by over ten percentage point; large scale mines of coal, phosphorite, molybdenum ore, copper ore, gold ore, bauxite and other ores have all be increased in their productivity ratio.

Intensification has been further enhanced. The average mining intensification level of these 20 types of minerals is 69.68%, wherein, potash, molybdenum ore, copper ore, nickel ore and gold ore enjoy higher intensification level; pyrites, bauxite, zinc ore, manganese ore, tungsten ore, rare earth ore, phosphorite, refractory clay, graphite and fluorite ore enjoy medium intensification level. Lead ore sees the lowest intensification level, whose productivity ratio of large scale mines is 19.67%; beneficiation intensification level is rather low, the average of which is only 32.58%. Intensification level is rather high in beneficiation of molybdenum ore, bauxite, potash, rare earth ore, copper ore, iron ore and phosphorit, wherein 97.26% of mineral processing capacity concentrate in 11 large scale beneficiation plants. Intensification level is medium in beneficiation of manganese ore, pyrites, antimony ore, gold ore, tin ore, zinc ore, nickel ore and fluorite ore. Intensification level is rather low in beneficiation of tungsten ore, lead ore and graphite, respectively 28.79%、20.94%和13.88%。.

Report shows that “three rates” have been enjoying a steady rise in terms of China’s major mineral resources thanks to the enhancement of intensification of development and utilization. Extract recovery rate has been smooth in general. Extract recovery rate of ferrous metal mine, non-ferrous metal mine, gold mine and nonmetal mine has been improved a bit, and that of coal has been stable. Among non-ferrous metal mines, bauxite has seen big improvement in extract recovery rate.Concentration recovery enjoys a steady rise, wherein extract recovery rate of ferrous metal mine, gold mine, nonmetal mine is stable and that of non-ferrous metal mine has slightly climbed up. Lead ore, zinc ore, bauxite, nickel ore, tungsten ore have all seen a rise in their intensification level and average concentration recovery.

Favorable comprehensive utilization effect is gained. There are 59 types of paragenetic and associated components included in these 20 types of minerals, and 8 of the components have been recycled to some extent. Comprehensive utilization rate of all paragenetic and associated resources is between 20%～80%, where we may see significant differences in different industries: comprehensive utilization rate of paragenetic and associated components in ferrous metal mine and chemical mine industries is much lower than that in non-ferrous mine industry.

Report shows that China has seen a slowdown in emissions growth of barren rock and tailings while the recycling rate has been raised. In respect of these 20 types of minerals, annual emissions of barren rock are 1965 million tons, and annual utilization of barren rock is 349 million tons. The average utilization rate of barren rock is 17.77%, growing from 11.76% at the early stage of “12th Five-Year Plan”. Among all, the recycling rate of barren rock in respect of bauxite, antimony ore, graphite, tin ore, tungsten ore, coal, fluorite ore, lead ore, pyrites and nickel ore is higher than national average, while that in respect of phosphorite, gold ore, iron ore, zinc ore, copper ore, manganese ore, rare earth ore and molybdenum ore is lower than national average.

Owing to resource utilization of barren rock, emissions of barren rock and tailings decreased but overall utilization rate is still unsatisfactory. Report shows that just some few mines have carried out re-concentration process on barren rock and tailings for useful components, and the overwhelming majority has disposed the barren rock and tailings in goaf filling, road construction, skid resistance, coastal silt promoting, building construction and so on.

Report shows that emission intensity of barren rock and tailings of China’s major mineral resources is rather high. Emission intensity of all kinds of barren rock at the early stage of “13th Five-Year Plan” was rather steady compared to that at the early stage of “12th Five-Year Plan”. China’s average barren rock emission intensity is 11 tons/1 ton of concentrate, 12.22 tons/ 10000 yuan output value, which give us that 11 tons of barren rock come out when we produce every 1 ton of concentrate and 12.22 tons of barren rock come out when we gain every 10000 yuan of output value. Among all, non-ferrous mineral is at the highest emission intensity level, whose tailing emission intensity is 3.87 ton/1 ton of concentrate, 4.26 tons/ 10000 yuan output value. Meanwhile, molybdenum ore, tungsten ore and tin ore are also at rather high emission intensity level.