Mining In China: An Update

istorical records suggest that the gathering of geologic information in China began more than 2,000 years ago. Modern-day geological work in the nation started in the early part of this century but it progressed rather slowly. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), there were only 800 people engaged in geological work and only 200 trained geologists among them. According to Minerals and Mining in China, many accomplishments were achieved within China's mining industry during the period of years between 1949, the founding of modern China, and 1997. These include: ? The number of types of minerals with verified reserves increased from 18 (pre-Liberation) to 162 (today). ? Mineral deposit localities grew from 5,123 (pre-Liberation) to nearly 200,000 (today). Of these 200,000 localities, more than three-quarters have verified mineral reserves. ? Minerals extraction and processing contribute to 31 % of the total industrial output value of China (today). ? Regional geological maps at a scale of 1:1,000,000 covering the entire country have been completed, while regional geological and hydrogeological maps at a scale of 1:200,000 covering two-thirds of the country have also been finished (today). ? Before 1949, China was regarded as an oil-poor country. Since the 1950s, China has developed an extensive petrochemical industry. It is largely government-owned except for a limited number of joint ventures. The central government maintains active control over China's most productive fields, including the Daqing field in the Songliao Basin of northeastern China and the Shengli and Liaohe fields in the Bohai Basin of northeastern China. ? Employment in the minerals industry engaged in geological exploration increased from 800 (pre-Liberation) to 1 million (early this decade). The new report provides an overview of the current political and economic situation in China and discusses how this affects the minerals industry. China is in transition between a socialist planned economy and a market economy. This makes it difficult for non-Chinese to keep track of developments. Minerals and Mining in China is divided into 14 chapters that contain detailed statistics, including data on the geographical location and extent of known mineral reserves, production rates, local technical personnel, imports and exports. The report reveals which companies are already active in the area by profiling 50 major investment projects in China's metals and minerals industry. According to its author, China possesses one of the world's largest mining industries, ranking among the leading producers of several metallic and nonmetallic resources. The Chinese mining industry is extraordinarily complex. It has evolved into an overwhelmingly large bureaucracy that was, until the 1980s, shrouded from and misunderstood by the international community. To date, more than 160 types of minerals have been discovered in China. But a significant portion of the minerals and energy base remains largely unidentified and evaluated. And despite China's large reserves of mineral resources, with a population of more than 1.2 billion people, the country ranks among the lowest in the world in terms of proven reserves per capita. In addition, mining recovery rates in China average about 50%, significantly