In recent years, driven by sustained strength in gold prices, market attention on the gold sector has significantly increased. However, for mining companies operating in this space, the rigid constraints on the supply side mean that industry benefits are not easily attainable, despite high gold prices and stronger-than-expected demand. To fully capitalize on rising gold prices, mining firms must not only possess high-grade, low-cost resources but also demonstrate the ability to expand reserves and efficiently convert resources through continuous exploration. This enables them to transform cyclical market conditions into sustainable endogenous growth, thereby strengthening long-term competitiveness. The importance of "resources as king" has become even more pronounced. Anchored by this core logic, industry leader ZHAOJIN MINING (01818) has accelerated its strategic push for deep-seated mineral exploration.
The latest development is that Rui Hai Mining, a subsidiary of ZHAOJIN MINING, has successfully achieved precise positioning of concealed ore bodies at depths of up to 3,000 meters below the seabed, marking another breakthrough in mineral exploration. As China’s first offshore gold mine, Rui Hai Mining has faced numerous industry-wide challenges since its construction and operation began. For instance, large-scale mineral prospecting in deep-sea environments involves weak mineralization signals, concealed metallogenic patterns, and complex multi-scale factor coupling—posing significant difficulties.
Despite these challenges, ZHAOJIN MINING has adhered to its core strategy of "coordinated infrastructure and exploration," leveraging innovation and technology to overcome bottlenecks. A landmark initiative includes collaborating with a research team from Central South University, led by Professors Mao Xiancheng and Liu Zhankun, to develop a pioneering 3D intelligent prediction system based on a spatiotemporal attention mechanism deep neural network. According to ZHAOJIN MINING, this innovative system can accurately identify and interpret mineralization-controlling factors across different scales and spatial positions, enabling high-precision concealed ore body prediction under weak-information conditions.
With this cutting-edge technology, ZHAOJIN MINING has delineated favorable mineralization zones and 3D exploration targets at depths of up to 3,000 meters in Rui Hai Mining. Using mechanical core drilling and a triple-casing method, the company has uncovered multiple concealed ore bodies, including: - L12 ore body at -520 meters (thickness: 25.04m, average grade: 6.59g/t) - I-4-3 ore body at -1,480 meters (thickness: 11.60m, average grade: 4.10g/t, peak grade: 20.10g/t).
Against a backdrop where new gold supply struggles to match demand growth, deep-sea mining offers a viable and high-potential supplementary solution. Undoubtedly, operating in complex marine conditions presents greater challenges compared to land-based exploration. As a global leader in gold mining, ZHAOJIN MINING has pioneered a shift from traditional "experience-driven" geological exploration to an intelligent "data + algorithm" predictive model.
In practical terms, the company’s new technology not only solves the global challenge of large-scale deep-sea prospecting but also advances deep-sea detection from "visibility" to "clarity," with multiple technical indicators reaching internationally leading levels. This breakthrough, achieved through industry-academia collaboration, provides a replicable reference for deep-sea mineral exploration worldwide, showcasing the transformative role of technological innovation in resource prospecting.
From an investment perspective, ZHAOJIN MINING is currently in a golden phase of accelerated high-quality capacity expansion. The newly discovered concealed ore bodies are expected to optimize production infrastructure and guide future exploration at Rui Hai Mining, ensuring stable resource supply and fueling the company’s high-quality growth. As 2025 approaches, ZHAOJIN MINING is poised to sustain its growth momentum, delivering further acceleration in the coming year.
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