China discovers 200 mineral deposits in 2025

A total of 200 non-oil and gas mineral deposits were discovered in China in 2025, according to a report released by the Ministry of Natural Resources on Friday.

The report, titled China Mineral Resources 2026, was launched at the ongoing 28th China Mining Conference and Exhibition 2026 being held in North China’s Tianjin municipality.

It showed that China’s investment in geological exploration registered positive growth for the fifth consecutive year in 2025 and that important progress continued to be made in mineral exploration.

Of the 200 newly discovered mineral deposits, 16 are gold deposits and 11 are iron deposits, making them the most frequently found types.

The report noted that, in terms of conventional oil and gas exploration, major breakthroughs had been made in new layers and new zones in places such as the Tarim and Junggar Basins.

In 2025, China’s coal output was 4.85 billion tonnes, up 1.4 percent year-on-year, while crude oil output was 216 million tonnes, up 1.5 percent, maintaining positive growth for seven consecutive years.

The report also showed natural gas output stood at 262.06 billion cubic meters last year, up 6.3 percent.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the country identified 398 new large and medium-sized strategic mineral deposits, including oil and gas fields, with historic breakthroughs in bulk minerals such as copper, gold and potash.