Major copper-gold deposit discovered in east China

(ECNS) -- China has made a major breakthrough in copper and gold exploration in the Chating area of Xuancheng, east China's Anhui Province, potentially paving the way for the development of a major copper and gold resource base in the Yangtze River Delta region, the Ministry of Natural Resources said on Tuesday.

Located in the heart of the Yangtze River Delta, the Chating copper-gold deposit has not yet been fully explored at greater depths. The main ore body identified so far measures about 1.2 kilometers long and 1.1 kilometers wide.

Preliminary estimates indicate that potential copper resources could be equivalent to several large deposits, each containing more than 500,000 metric tons of copper, while potential gold resources could be equivalent to more than 10 large deposits, each containing more than 20 metric tons of gold.

Copper and gold are widely used in emerging industries, including new energy and advanced manufacturing. While most of China's super-large porphyry copper deposits are concentrated in the western plateau region, deposits of this scale are relatively rare in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

The Chating copper-gold deposit could provide a local source of raw materials for smelting and processing industries in East China, according to the ministry.