Longnan Zijin
Longnan Zijin
Liba Gold Mine
Longnan Zijin

Longnan Zijin holds high-quality gold assets including the Liba and Jinshan gold mines. Its Liba Gold Mine is a producing open-pit operation. The discovery of deposits at Liba was recognized as an “Outstanding Achievement of China’s Ten-Year Mineral Exploration Initiative” by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources in 2021.

Longnan Zijin
  • Location
    Li County, Gansu Province
  • Ownership
    84.22%
  • Status
    In production + undergoing expansion
  • Deposit Type
    Sub-Carlin-type
  • Resources
    Contained gold: 122.274 tonnes, Grade: 2.10 g/t
  • Mining & processing methods
    Open-pit mining + flotation
  • 2025 Production
    Gold: 7.408 tonnes
  • Project Overview

    Longnan Zijin holds high-quality gold assets, including the Liba and Jinshan gold mines. Liba is a producing open-pit operation and was recognized as an “Outstanding Achievement of China’s Ten-Year Mineral Exploration Initiative” by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources in 2021. It passed the on-site inspection for selection as a national green mine in 2025 and has been recommended to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

    Jinshan is also a producing open-pit mine. It was built and successfully commissioned in December 2023, achieving the remarkable milestone of commencing construction and completing commissioning within the same year. It has now reached nameplate, steady-state production and was designated a provincial green mine in 2025. The gold metallurgical project (1,000-tonnes-per-day bio-oxidation project for processing gold concentrate), with a total capex of RMB 1.29 billion, will be developed in two phases. Phase I is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.

    Additionally, construction of a Longnan Zijin residential compound is planned to begin in mid-2026 following the completion of permitting procedures, with completion and delivery targeted within two years.

  • Debottlenecking and Expansion

    In April 2020, Longnan Zijin invested RMB 150 million to expand its processing system. A new 4,000 t/d system was added to the existing 6,000 t/d processing plant, increasing total processing capacity to 10,000 t/d. The new system is running at full capacity, significantly boosting output and profitability. The 2,000 t/d mining and processing project at the Jinshan Gold Mine has been completed and has obtained a license for safe production. It is now in production and operating steadily.

  • M&A

    In 2008, Zijin Mining acquired Gansu Yate Mining Co., Ltd. and subsequently restructured it to establish Longnan Zijin Mining Co., Ltd., in which Zijin Mining holds an 84.22% interest.

ESG

Longnan Zijin attaches great importance to ecological and environmental protection, earnestly practices the principle that “green is gold”. To decarbonize its operations, the company has advanced initiatives such as electric haul trucks and solar power generation. It also carries out routine environmental quality monitoring, discharges no production-related or domestic wastewater, and maintains 100% compliant and safe hazardous waste disposal.

The company strictly follows the principle of restoring the environment before and during mine development. To date, it has invested RMB 160 million in ecological restoration and environmental rehabilitation, planted more than 1.5 million seedlings, spread over 320 tonnes of grass seeds, and rehabilitated more than 800 hectares of land.

The Liba Gold Mine has been recognized as a provincial-level green mine and is planned to obtain national green mine status within the year, while the Jinshan Gold Mine is expected to be approved as a provincial-level green mine within the year.

The company has paid more than RMB 2.1 billion in cumulative taxes and donated a total of RMB 190 million to local public welfare causes. It has funded a range of public and livelihood projects, including the Gonghe-Xuli relocation project for poverty alleviation in Luoba Town, Zijin Square, new rural development, rural drinking water safety, and village road construction.

Over the past three years, it has contributed RMB 25.5 million to municipal infrastructure in Li County, RMB 10 million to education funds, RMB 13.8 million for local COVID-19 outbreak response, RMB 2 million for infrastructure in Taoping Town, RMB 3 million to the Li County Red Cross Society, and RMB 4 million for the Qishan Three Kingdoms Cultural Industry Park. In 2023, it also donated funds and supplies worth more than RMB 10 million for earthquake relief and reconstruction in Jishishan County, Gansu Province.