9.6656 million tons! Sichuan discovers world's second-largest light rare earth deposit

Sichuan has made another significant breakthrough in mineral exploration! Recently, the Ministry of Natural Resources released the latest mineral discovery results. The verified exploration project for rare earth resources in Ma’nin County, Mianyang City, Sichuan, confirmed a total resource reserve of 9.6656 million tons of rare earth oxides, along with associated resources of super-large fluorite (27.1354 million tons) and barite (37.2277 million tons).

Analysis shows that the Ma’ninping rare earth mine ranks second in the world in terms of current rare earth mine reserves, only behind the Baiyun Obo Mine in Baotou, Inner Mongolia. Compared to the previously confirmed reserve of 3.16 million tons, this new reserve represents an increase of over 200%.

Opening the “Treasure Door”

As early as the 1980s, the Ma’ninping rare earth deposit was discovered.

For a long time, China’s rare earth resources have shown a “lighter in the north, heavier in the south” geographic distribution, with the north mainly rich in light rare earths and the south dominated by heavy rare earths. The discovery of the Ma’ninping rare earth deposit filled the gap of no light rare earths in the south and changed the distribution pattern of rare earths in China.

Understanding underground ore bodies is a long and complex process. Over the decades, exploration work at Ma’ninping has continued with five detailed surveys. With advances in exploration technology and improved mineral prospecting theories, resource reserves at the site have been continuously updated.

Public data shows that by 2010, the Ma’ninping deposit had confirmed reserves of 3.16 million tons of REO, nearly doubling the previously known amount.

To further integrate rare earth resources and promote high-quality industry development, in 2023, the Ma’ninping rare earth deposit was incorporated into China Rare Earth Group, becoming a subsidiary fully owned by the group, operated exclusively by its subsidiary Zhongxi (Liangshan) Rare Earth Co., Ltd. The same year, the resource verification (deep exploration) project for Ma’ninping was launched.

Searching for “Two More Ma’ninpings”

Deep exploration of the Ma’ninping rare earth deposit is more challenging, like “fishing on the shore” where the “fish” underwater are invisible.

Discovering hidden treasures requires coordinated efforts from multiple teams, including the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and the First Geological Brigade under the Sichuan Geological Mineral Exploration and Development Bureau.

The project team used innovative exploration theories and techniques to locate mineral veins, then confirmed the ore body locations through geological drilling, gradually unveiling the resource potential and finding the “fish schools” underground.

By the end of 2023, at an altitude of over 2,800 meters, the mining area was filled with towering drilling rigs. Long drill rods penetrated multiple layers of strata, extending kilometers deep, extracting core samples that still retained some thermal signature of the layers. These core samples are crucial for assessing resource quantity and grade.

Over the course of a year, the team worked intensively in the mine, with nearly 200 personnel at peak times, completing over 60,000 meters of drilling, testing 50,000 samples, and drilling single boreholes more than three times deeper than previous records.

In 2024, experts will conduct a mid-term assessment of the resource increase and production potential at Ma’ninping, expecting an additional 4.96 million tons of REO. The final exploration results far exceeded expectations, with a total confirmed resource of 9.6656 million tons—more than double the previously announced 3.16 million tons—effectively discovering two full “Ma’ninping” deposits on the original site.

This breakthrough in mineral exploration at Ma’ninping not only significantly increased resource reserves but also marked a dual advancement in exploration theory and technology.

Advancing Toward a Strong Rare Earth Industry Province

Industry insiders believe that the breakthrough at Ma’ninping is of great significance for ensuring national strategic resource security.

According to public data, the Baiyun Obo Mine in Inner Mongolia has proven industrial reserves of 44 million tons of rare earths, accounting for 83.7% of China’s total. Ma’ninping ranks second nationally and second globally in light rare earth reserves.

Ma’ninping’s rare earth deposit not only has large reserves but is also easy to mine, separate, and smelt. It is associated with resources like barite, fluorite, and molybdenum, with current utilization of fluorite and barite resources.

According to Li Linsen, a senior expert in the rare earth industry and deputy director of the Geology and Mineral Processing Professional Committee of the China Rare Earth Society, the discovery at Ma’ninping injects “resource confidence” into Sichuan’s rare earth industry, helping it develop into a super-large rare earth base with annual output reaching thousands of tons. The associated strategic resources, such as fluorite and barite, have good market prospects, and the comprehensive development value of the deposit is significant.

Leveraging its rich rare earth resource base, Sichuan’s rare earth industry has evolved from a single resource development stage to a complete industrial chain including resource extraction, smelting, separation, and material processing, with operations distributed across Liangshan, Leshan, Chengdu, Mianyang, and other areas.

Moving toward becoming a strong rare earth industry province, in 2023, five Sichuan departments released a development “roadmap” for the rare earth industry, aiming to establish a major national rare earth industry base and a competitive provincial industry by 2027, with the industry’s overall scale surpassing 100 billion yuan.

(Article source: Yicai)