A massive gold deposit with estimated reserves exceeding 1,000 tonnes has been discovered in central China’s Hunan Province, the Geological Bureau of Hunan Province announced on Thursday. This find, located in the Wangu Goldfield in Pingjiang County, is the largest in the province’s history and one of only five gold deposits of this scale in China.
Geologists have identified more than 40 gold veins within a depth of 2,000 meters, accounting for 300 tonnes of gold. The total reserves, extending to depths of 3,000 meters, are estimated to surpass 1,000 tonnes, with a valuation of approximately 600 billion yuan (about $83 billion).
Advanced technologies, such as 3D geological modeling, played a crucial role in the discovery, enabling exploration at depths beyond 1,500 meters. Ore-prospecting expert Chen Rulin highlighted the remarkable success rate of 87.3%, with gold detected in 48 of 55 drill holes at shallower depths. Visible gold was also observed in cores drilled at 2,000 meters, with some ore containing up to 138 grams of gold per tonne.
Wu Jun, director of the Hunan Province Geological Disaster Survey and Monitoring Institute, revealed that the discovery was the result of 30 years of dedicated exploration, involving extensive drilling, sample collection, and research. While deposits at 2,000 meters have been confirmed, ongoing efforts are targeting the periphery of the field to locate an estimated 700 additional tonnes of gold.
Deputy head of the Geological Bureau, Liu Yongjun, noted that gold deposits were also found during peripheral drilling, suggesting promising prospects for further expansion. This groundbreaking discovery underscores the potential of innovative exploration technologies and marks a significant achievement in China’s mineral resource development.