Deeply Buried Orebodies in Northeast China Contain 3.83 Million Tonnes of Copper

On July 23, Zijin Mining’s discovery of major blind copper orebodies in Nenjiang, Heilongjiang Province, has been ranked as one of China’s “Top Ten Geological Discoveries of 2024” by the Geological Society of China. Buried at the depths of the Tongshan Copper Mine, the V and III orebodies are the largest copper find in Northeast China in four decades.

Jointly executed by Zijin’s Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration and Duobaoshan Copper, the Tongshan exploration program leveraged integrated analysis of geological, geophysical, and geochemical data alongside historical drill records. Through verification drilling, geologists discovered the giant, deeply buried V Orebody at Tongshan. After three years of exploration, the program identified 3.83 million tonnes of copper contained in the V and III orebodies, along with a significant amount of associated resources—57.8 tonnes of gold, 1,182 tonnes of silver, 137,000 tonnes of molybdenum, and 214 tonnes of rhenium. This has added 3.65 million tonnes of copper resources, substantially expanding the resource base in the Tongshan region.

The Geological Society of China has recognized the country’s top ten technological achievements in the field of geology and top ten exploration discoveries since 2007, honoring pioneering work and inspiring further exploration efforts.

Translator: Li Yuanxing   Reviser: Jian  Editor-in-Chief: Fa Yuan