On January 8, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources announced that the China Geological Survey has recently achieved new progress in mineral resource exploration, with breakthroughs made in both chromite and unconventional oil and gas exploration.

According to the China Geological Survey, a new mineral discovery—the Saltuo Lake 27 ore cluster—has been identified in the covered area of the Saltuo Lake South chromite belt in Xinjiang. A total of 20 ore bodies have been delineated, with an average grade of 30.73%, representing the largest chromite discovery in the region in nearly 40 years. Chromite is a strategic mineral in short supply in China. It is black to dark brown with a semi-metallic luster and is mainly used in smelting special alloys containing elements such as cobalt, nickel, and tungsten, making it an indispensable material for industries including aviation, aerospace, automotive manufacturing, and shipbuilding.

In addition to the chromite discovery, China has also achieved an industrial gas flow breakthrough in unconventional oil and gas exploration in western Hubei Province, focusing on Permian shale formations. This success has opened up new shale gas formations and types, effectively extending shale gas exploration from the Sichuan Basin into western Hubei. Newly added geological shale gas resources amount to 132.95 billion cubic meters, further strengthening the resource base of the western Hubei shale gas succession area.