On January 17, it was learned from the China Geological Survey of the Ministry of Natural Resources that, with strong support from the Ministry of Finance, the China Geological Survey of the Ministry of Natural Resources discovered a super-large ion-adsorption rare earth ore in the Honghe region of Yunnan Province, with potential resources reaching 1.15 million mt. Among these, key rare earth elements such as Pr-Nd, dysprosium, and terbium exceed 470,000 mt. This marks another major breakthrough in China's exploration of ion-adsorption rare earth ores since the first discovery of such ores in Jiangxi in 1969. It is expected to become China's largest medium-heavy rare earth deposit, playing a significant role in strengthening China's rare earth resource advantages, improving the rare earth industry chain, and further consolidating China's strategic advantage in the medium-heavy rare earth resource sector.
The discovered ion-adsorption rare earth ore is primarily a medium-heavy rare earth ore. China is rich in light rare earth resources, mainly distributed in Bayan Obo, Inner Mongolia, and Maoniuping, Sichuan, but medium-heavy rare earth resources are relatively scarce. These resources have broader application fields and are indispensable key raw materials for EVs, new energy, national defense security, and other sectors, as well as critical metals for developing high-tech industries.
The China Geological Survey has combined geological surveys with scientific research, establishing a national geochemical baseline network over more than a decade of work, acquiring massive geochemical data, and achieving significant breakthroughs in ore prospecting theories and exploration technologies. This effort has filled the gap in geochemical exploration technology for ion-adsorption rare earth ores, establishing a rapid, precise, and green exploration technology system. It provides valuable insights for achieving rapid breakthroughs in ore prospecting in other medium-heavy rare earth enrichment areas in China.
