At a State Council Information Office press conference on September 22, part of the "15th Five-Year Plan" series, Vice Minister of Natural Resources Zhou Xing highlighted Anhui among a list of achievements, noting that major mineral discoveries such as the Maoniuping rare earth mine in Sichuan and the Chating copper-gold mine in Anhui have marked significant breakthroughs in exploration and reserve expansion this year.
Mineral resources are often described as the "grain" and "blood" of industry, underpinning everything from smartphones and computers to new energy vehicles and high-end manufacturing. Anhui stands out as a mineral-rich province, with coal, iron, copper, molybdenum, limestone for cement, and pyrite among its advantageous reserves, ranking among the top nationally and serving as a key energy and resource base for the Yangtze River Delta.
Just weeks ago, Anhui launched its "15th Five-Year Plan" strategic mineral exploration campaign at the provincial Department of Natural Resources. Officials from the ministry's geological exploration division, the Nanjing Geological Survey Center, Anhui's geological and mineral exploration bureaus, along with representatives from the provincial development and reform, science, industry, finance, and other departments, gathered to review the achievements of the previous plan period and outline priorities for the new round of exploration. The fact that Anhui became the first province in East China to start this campaign signals a coordinated push across multiple government bodies to intensify the search for major, high-quality, and urgently needed mineral deposits, building on landmark wins like the Chating copper-gold project.
Why does mineral exploration matter so much? Consider the Chating copper-gold mine: The Yangtze River Delta is a dense hub for copper smelting, cable manufacturing, and new energy industries, yet local primary copper and gold resources are scarce. This newly discovered large-scale deposit could be developed into a major copper-gold production base for East China, providing a critical resource anchor to relieve the region's supply bottleneck and support the integrated development of the delta. When one in every six kilowatt-hours of electricity used in Shanghai comes from Anhui, or when the delta's new energy vehicles and solar industries depend on stable copper supply, exploration becomes far more than geologists trekking in remote fields—it is a systematic undertaking tied to regional economic resilience and, ultimately, a safeguard for daily life across communities.
Five years of progress: Numbers that speak
Data from the "14th Five-Year Plan" period illustrate Anhui's track record: The province added 850 million tonnes of coal, 120 million tonnes of iron, 200,000 tonnes of copper, 25 tonnes of gold, 1.96 million tonnes of fluorite, and 730,000 tonnes of vanadium. It also competitively transferred 74 mining rights, with total ore output and industrial output value from mining enterprises both ranking among the top six nationwide and first in the Yangtze River Delta. Yet beyond these figures, several benchmark projects have opened up new frontiers—pushing older mines deeper, achieving historic breakthroughs under the thick sediment layers of the northern Anhui plain, and filling gaps in strategic emerging minerals.
"Half of East China's coal comes from Anhui, and seven out of ten tonnes of Anhui's coal come from Huainan." When it comes to Huainan, coal and its derived electricity are unavoidable topics. The region supplies one in every four tonnes of coal used in the Yangtze River Delta and generates one in every six kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed in Shanghai. The Dingji Coal Mine, a backbone operation in the Huainan coalfield and a key supplier for the "Anhui-to-East" power transmission project, faced declining shallow reserves and pressure on long-term production capacity after years of heavy extraction. During the "14th Five-Year Plan," the mine carried out deep-level exploration, bringing cumulative identified coal resources to 2.2 billion tonnes, with 930 million tonnes newly added, and deep-level contributions accounting for 67.14 percent of the growth. The coal found is mostly low-sulfur, high-heat thermal coal and one-third coking coal, offering high quality and strong development value. The project also discovered 8.67 billion cubic meters of potential coalbed methane resources, achieving a combined coal and gas exploration breakthrough and revitalizing idle deep resources.
Anhui is a major gold-producing province, churning out 139.2 tonnes of gold during the "14th Five-Year Plan," a 31 percent increase from the previous period. However, the northern plain had long been obscured by Quaternary overburden—loose or weakly cemented deposits formed over the last roughly 2.6 million years that blanket the bedrock—making exploration targeting difficult. The Tianjinghu lead-gold mine in Wuhe County broke through after 16 years of effort. As of March 31, 2025, it had identified 1.617 million tonnes of ore, including about 11.6 tonnes of gold metal with an average grade of 9.66 grams per tonne, and 23,000 tonnes of lead. Of 34 drill holes, 33 intersected mineralization, a hit rate exceeding 97 percent. The persistent questions of where and how to find deposits under the thick overburden have been answered here with a replicable model.
The Xiangshan crystalline graphite mine in Huaining County set another record. Graphite is a critical raw material for new energy, semiconductors, and aerospace, and China restricts exports of natural flake graphite and its products. For a long time, East China lacked high-quality crystalline graphite resources, with known deposits mainly concentrated in the Jiaodong area of Shandong. The discovery of the Xiangshan super-large graphite deposit achieved a "zero to one" breakthrough in the Middle-Lower Yangtze metallogenic belt, substantially strengthening the resource base for the region's new materials industry.
Chating copper-gold: A pillar for the delta
As for the Chating copper-gold mine mentioned at the State Council briefing, its latest exploration results grabbed national attention just over two weeks ago. Preliminary estimates for this porphyry copper-polymetallic deposit suggest copper potential on a scale exceeding several large mines combined, with gold potential surpassing a dozen large-scale gold deposits, positioning it to become a major copper-gold production center in East China. The Yangtze River Delta, while hosting dense clusters of copper smelting, cable, and new energy industries, lacks local primary copper and gold resources—most copper concentrate must be shipped from the west or imported, carrying high transport costs and vulnerability to shipping disruptions and geopolitical shifts. Chating could supply nearby feedstock to smelters and processors, potentially becoming a key resource pillar for easing the East China supply gap and underpinning delta integration.
A mechanism that is no abstract concept
Over the past five years, Anhui has mobilized its efforts to push forward geological exploration, exceeding state-assigned targets with standout results including Chating, Xiangshan graphite, and deep coal in Panji. Behind these successes lies an exploration mechanism centered on "government leadership, enterprise participation, and market operations," supported by fund guidance, central-local-enterprise coordination, green practices, and tech empowerment. This mechanism is not abstract theory; it operates in every major project.
Fiscal funds play a catalytic role. Since the "14th Five-Year Plan," Anhui has invested roughly 2.4 billion yuan in mineral surveys and exploration. Government-funded projects handle preliminary surveys and reconnaissance, reducing risks for private capital, while enterprises take over drilling after exploration rights are transferred. The Chating path is a typical example: The provincial Department of Natural Resources began funding surveys in 2008, submitted a reconnaissance report in 2018, and in 2025 publicly listed the exploration right, which Tibet Yulong Copper bought for 8.6 billion yuan, ushering in fast-track exploration.
Central-local-enterprise coordination is another critical factor. In the Chating project, the Ministry of Natural Resources listed it as a key exploration project for 2026, with academician Tang Juxing leading a team stationed on site, provincial, city, and district authorities handling support, and the enterprise injecting capital. This coordination dramatically shortened the timeline from project approval to mineral discovery—experts provided technical backup on the ground, local departments fast-tracked land and forest use approvals, and funding flowed without gaps. "This breakthrough is a vivid example of the central-local-enterprise coordination mechanism at work," said Ma Xiaojie, deputy director of the ministry's geological exploration department, noting that 71 drill holes were completed in just four months thanks to this integrated approach, setting a new pace for Anhui.
Green exploration in Anhui is not just a slogan but is embedded in standards and practice. The province was the first in the nation to issue a local standard for green exploration practices. The Dingji coal mine project illustrates this: Diesel generators were fully replaced with industrial electric power, cutting construction-site noise by over 40 percent; a triple-layer anti-seepage technique achieved a 100 percent success rate in slurry containment; and all 25 drill sites followed a "complete, restore, reclaim" protocol, with zero environmental incidents and zero complaints from residents.
Technological innovation also shows up in squeezing maximum value out of resources. Dolomite for magnesium smelting was once used roughly as flux or refractory material in steelmaking, yielding low added value. After Chizhou brought in the Anhui Baomei light alloy project, technical breakthroughs transformed the resource into high-performance magnesium-based alloys, with production capacity equivalent to one-quarter of the national total, and the project was included in the delta integration plan for the "14th Five-Year Plan." The shift from "selling ore" to "selling materials" reflects the continued application of advanced, cost-effective mineral conservation and utilization technologies.
Targets, methods, and safeguards for the next five years
As the first province in East China to kick off the "15th Five-Year Plan" exploration campaign, Anhui is now mapping out where to search, how to proceed, and what safeguards to rely on. Provincial Natural Resources Department Director Wang Qianshen laid out a clear blueprint at the launch ceremony. "We will hold to the basic goals of finding major deposits, good deposits, and urgently needed deposits, ensuring a solid start for the '15th Five-Year Plan'," Wang stated. In 2026, the province has planned 21 public welfare geological projects and 24 exploration fund projects, with about 200 million yuan in fiscal investment, plus an additional 50 million yuan later in the year to continue high-performing projects.
Provincially funded exploration projects serve as a key lever. During the "15th Five-Year Plan," Anhui aims to roll out no fewer than 80 such projects, drawing in social capital for follow-up work. A "one mine, one strategy" targeted approach will be introduced for key exploration projects and critical minerals, focusing efforts on overcoming difficult targets. On the technology front, the province is exploring artificial intelligence applications in exploration, pushing for the secondary development of geological data, seeking policy support from national initiatives, and promoting the adoption of green, efficient, low-cost exploration equipment and shared access to large-scale machinery.
Where will the guarantees come from? Wang outlined policy measures, including specific support for exploration breakthroughs and differentiated management of strategic mineral exploration within ecological red lines and nature reserves. A joint meeting mechanism led by the provincial Department of Natural Resources will involve relevant provincial departments and deepen central-local-enterprise cooperation. Talent cultivation will be strengthened, with incentives for geological units to recruit and train more personnel, accelerating the growth of leading and technical experts. Safety remains a top priority, with a "constant vigilance" approach to industry safety. Green standards are non-negotiable: By 2030, 90 percent of large operating mines and 80 percent of medium-sized mines must meet green mining benchmarks.
Copper, gold, graphite, coal—these names represent the raw materials for new energy industries, the conductors for power grids, and the foundations of high-end manufacturing. "We will carry forward the new-era geological spirit of patriotism, dedication, innovation, and hard work, and advance with confidence to overcome challenges," Wang concluded. His words serve both as a rallying call for mineral exploration and as Anhui's commitment, as a major mining province, to the goals of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.
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