Chinese geologists claim they have discovered world-class mineral deposits in what used to be part of the ancient Silk Road in Gansu Province, northwest China.
Geologist Tang Zhongli, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, made this announcement today at the ongoing annual conference of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) in Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi in northwest China.
Tang said his latest research has shown the actual reserves of nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum, tungsten and gold in the areas could be twice as much as the verified discoveries.
Years ago, Tang discovered the Jinchuan Nickel Mine in the corridor, the second biggest nickel mine in the world.
He said that in the vast areas along the Silk Road, there is a mine with "an extraordinary amount of deposits of nickel, copper, cobalt and plutonium and a mine with a huge amount of iron, copper, lead, zinc, tungsten and gold."
The geologist called for the increased use of the latest prospecting technology to locate the mineral resources in the region.
(People's Daily)
