From April 24 to 25, the 2025 National Advanced Training Program for Geological Team Leaders was held at Zijin Mining’s headquarters in Shanghang, Fujian. The event, organized by the China Mining Association, brought together more than 300 participants from nearly 200 geological institutions across China.
The program combined expert lectures, experience-sharing sessions and site visits to enhance trainees’ professional competence, with a focus on management skills, operational expertise, exploration trends, and new technologies.
During the training, five top exploration professionals shared best practices. On April 26, attendees visited the Zijinshan National Mine Park, a model of sustainable mining and ecological restoration.
Key trainers for the program included Mr. Wang Min, former Vice Minister of Land and Resources; Mr. Chen Jinghe, Chairman of Zijin Mining; and former officials from China’s Ministry of Natural Resources.
Vision for Geological Work
Mr. Wang Min delivered a lecture titled Reflections on Geological Work in the New Era, drawing on over five decades of experience in the field. He spoke on four themes:
Mission: Geological work, a basic and strategic pillar of mining activity, must evolve to prioritize both mineral exploration and environmental stewardship, serving as a strategic foundation for sustainable development.
Activities: The focus should be on strengthening fundamental geological research, advancing ecological restoration, managing geological hazards, and boosting the societal value of geological work.
Institutional reform: To address challenges in the field of geological exploration, industry-specific characteristics and market norms should be respected, while new institutional arrangements should be boldly developed.
Modernization: Technological innovation should be leveraged to modernize geological work, while Earth system science should be referenced. Team structures should be optimized to build leading research capabilities and support the advancement of geological work.
Innovative Approaches to Exploration and Mining
Chairman Chen Jinghe shared his insights on Guiding Mineral Exploration and Evaluation with Market Principles. He highlighted that “economically viable rocks are ores”—the cornerstone of mineral economics. He stressed that dynamic market conditions, technological advancements, cost changes and policy shifts require flexible resource evaluation frameworks to maximize socio-economic benefits.
Chen shared Zijin’s success in low-grade resource extraction through case studies like the Zijinshan Gold-Copper Mine, Julong Copper, Zijin Zinc, and Zeravshan. He detailed how Zijin’s Five-Pronged Mining Engineering Model—a systematic approach to exploration, mining, processing, metallurgy and environmental protection—has guided the technical and economic assessments of large and ultra-large projects that the company operates. Key achievements include:
Zijinshan Mine in Fujian: This is Zijin’s first project and where its unique approaches and models are developed. By adopting innovative principles in economic geology and reducing cutoff grades through technological innovation, Zijinshan, a project with low-grade ores, was transformed into a highly profitable asset.
Julong Copper in Xizang: Post-acquisition, Zijin’s supplementary exploration and technical re-evaluation increased copper, molybdenum, and silver resources by 2.5 times and reserves by 4.5 times, making it China’s largest copper mine and a significant contributor to Xizang’s economic growth.
Wulagen Zinc-Lead Mine in Xinjiang: Technical evaluations and continued exploration enabled a 5.5 times increase in reserves. Through optimized orebody delineation, cost-effective open-pit mining was made possible, creating one of the world’s most profitable zinc-lead operations despite low grades and high levels of oxidation.
Zeravshan in Tajikistan: Through improvements in exploration and mining, alongside tailored metallurgical solutions, Zijin was able to extract refractory gold ores at the Taro pit and low-grade gold resources at the Jilau pit at low costs. These optimizations turned the project around within a year of Zijin’s acquisition. Today, Zeravshan is the largest gold producer and taxpayer in Tajikistan.
Exploration Breakthroughs and Collaboration
Highlighting Zijin’s technical capabilities, including its independently developed exploration technologies and equipment, Chen shared the company’s recent discoveries - an ultra-large copper deposit at the Duobaoshan mine and the massive Malka Golaja copper-gold deposit in Serbia. These discoveries have expanded Zijin’s resource base, supporting its rise as a top-tier miner.
Chen emphasized that geological exploration is deeply embedded in Zijin’s DNA. He called for partnerships to explore highly prospective projects, particularly metal deposits that could potentially become large or ultra-large projects.
Navigating Global Mining Trends
Chen also provided an analysis of the global and Chinese mining industries. Against the backdrop of the energy transition and the development of AI technologies, the demand for critical minerals has surged. He noted that high mineral prices are driven by global uncertainty, dramatic changes in supply and demand, and the relative shortage of key resources. “The complex economic climate will also have an impact on the mining industry, so miners should brace for a ‘cold winter’”, he cautioned.
Translator: Li Yuanxing Reviser: Jian Editor-in-Chief: Fa Yuan