China finds 9.7 million tons of rare earth oxides in Sichuan surveys

China has announced the discovery of significant new mineral deposits in Sichuan province, including 9.7 million tonnes of rare earth oxides at the Maoniuping mine in Mianning county. This raises the mine’s total proven rare earth resources to 10.4 million tonnes. Additionally, the surveys revealed “super-large” deposits of 27.1 million tonnes of fluorite and 37.2 million tonnes of baryte, both industrial minerals of strategic importance. These findings are expected to further solidify China’s dominant position in the global supply of rare earth elements, which are critical for high-tech manufacturing, clean energy technologies, and defense applications. Experts highlight that while the rare earth discovery is significant, the fluorite and baryte deposits are particularly noteworthy due to their industrial uses. Fluorite, for example, is essential in various manufacturing processes. Separately, in Gansu province, officials reported a new antimony find of 51,455 tonnes in Tanchang county,