Successful renewal of Leigou bauxite mining area of Zhongzhou Aluminum Co., Ltd., the largest underground bauxite mine in China.

Chinalco Zhongzhou Aluminum Co., Ltd. has an annual production capacity of 800000 tons in Leigou bauxite mine, which is currently the largest underground bauxite mine in China, but the mining license will expire on November 25, which means that if a new mining license is not obtained in advance, production may be interrupted. The mining rights declaration working group responsible for handling the formalities is well aware of the heavy responsibility, and after several efforts, it finally obtained a new mining certificate on October 14, and completed the renewal of the mining license ahead of schedule, providing a strong guarantee for the legal mining of the mine.

In the original mining certificate of Leigou bauxite mining area, it is noted that "the assessment and disposal of the proceeds from the sale of associated minerals shall be completed within the period of validity", that is, the mining certificate must pay more than 3.6 million yuan in income from the sale of associated gallium from bauxite before it expires on November 25, 2021, otherwise, no new certificate will be applied for. Through the collection of data, the working group on mining rights declaration found that Henan Province required industrial indicators of associated gallium when compiling and reviewing reports relating to bauxite reserves, the bauxite associated gallium content standard listed in the 2012 edition of the Mineral Resources Industry requirements Manual has been used. However, the standard has been implemented for nearly a decade. The data stipulated in the standard are no longer consistent with the reality of mining. In view of this situation, the Leigou bauxite mining area decided to carry out the demonstration of associated gallium content in bauxite. In cooperation with Zhengzhou Institute of Comprehensive Utilization of Mineral Resources of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the relevant data of a large number of bauxite mines were collected. The evaluation index report of bauxite associated gallium composition was jointly compiled, and a new standard of gallium content needed to sell the associated gallium income of bauxite was proposed. And in April this year, it passed the evaluation of the authoritative experts in the field of national natural resources.

The updated standard means that there is a new basis for waiving the transfer fee. In order to open the way for the implementation of the new standard, the mining rights declaration working group twice submitted papers to the Department of Natural Resources of Henan Province, requesting the use of the conclusions of the research report. Finally, after in-depth exchanges between Henan evaluation experts and responsible persons of relevant departments, they approved the conclusion. At the same time, they also made a special report to Chinalco shares, promoted sending a letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources in the name of the enterprise group, and suggested that the national competent authorities adopt this opinion. Modify the evaluation index of the transfer income of gallium associated with bauxite. According to the new edition of "the content of associated gallium in bauxite does not meet the recommended evaluation standard", the Leigou bauxite mining area is finally exempted from the transfer income.

In addition, in the process of processing the mining license in Leigou bauxite mining area, Zhongzhou Aluminum Industry received a notice from the Department of Natural Resources of Henan Province: the extension of mining rights in large and medium-sized mines is based on the reserves verification report in the past three years, please explain the verification of mine reserves. The last reserve verification and filing in Leigou bauxite mining area was in 2009, and if it needs to be recompiled according to the requirements of the notice, it will take at least more than half a year, which will not only affect the renewal of mining licenses, but also cost more than 400,000 yuan to prepare the report.

In order to solve the problem, the working group on mining right declaration is actively looking for a policy breakthrough. According to the Circular on matters related to further promoting the Reform of Mineral Resources Management issued by the Department of Natural Resources of Henan Province, we have found the latest policy that the cumulative change of mineral resources reserves is less than 30% and will no longer be reviewed and put on record. Through the active consultation with the Mining Rights Management window of the Ministry of Natural Resources, it is learned that at the national policy level, the requirement for the extension of mining rights in large and medium-sized mines to submit reserves verification reports for nearly three years has been cancelled, but a new examination and approval process has not yet been put in place. If mining enterprises and government authorities reach a consensus, they can no longer make new reserves reports.

Finally, after many effective communication, the Department of Natural Resources of Henan Province agreed that there is no need to provide a new reserve verification report in Leigou bauxite mining area from the point of view of reducing the burden of enterprises and improving administrative efficiency.

No fight, no deal, in the process of handling the mining certificate formalities, the company's mine unit cadres and professional and technical personnel carefully studied the policy, and established a good relationship with the Department of Natural Resources of Henan Province. Whenever there is a change in mineral resources policy, the office will invite the head of the mining rights declaration working group to participate in the discussion. They also actively offered their opinions and suggestions at the business symposium organized by the Henan Provincial Department of Natural Resources for many times, which left a deep impression on the leaders at all levels of the province and the department and the mining enterprises. As a representative of central enterprises, with high political awareness, policy level and professional ability, he has accumulated a good reputation and established a relationship of trust with government departments, creating a good external environment for the smooth development of related work in the mining system.