China has found 112 potential iron ore prospecting areas that are believed to house over 200 billion tons of iron ore reserves, according to a report on mineral resource surveys in 2009 issued by the China Geological Survey under the Ministry of Land and Resources.

The report shows that there are two potential prospecting areas each with over 10 billion tons of iron ore reserves, two areas with 5 billion to 10 billion tons, two areas with 3 billion to 5 billion tons and 16 areas with 1 billion to 3 billion tons.

These areas are mainly distributed in Anshan and Benxi in Liaoning, eastern Hebei, Panzhihua in Sichuan, western Shandong, southwestern Fujian, Wuyang and Xincai in Henan, Lucong in Anhui and the Tianshan area in Xinjiang.

Of those areas surveyed, it is estimated that 44 potential prospecting areas have reserves totaling 51 billion tons in Anshan and Benxi, Liaoning, where there are about 15 billion tons of proven iron ore resources. There are 229 areas with potential reserves totaling more than 20 billion tons in eastern Hebei, where there are currently more than 6 billion tons of proven iron ore resources. There are an additional 19 areas with potential reserves totaling over 19 billion tons in Panzhihua, Sichuan, where there are already more than 10 billion tons of proven iron ore resources.

The potential iron ore prospecting areas with large amounts of potential reserves – Anshan and Benxi in Liaoning, eastern Hebei and Panzhihua in Sichuan and other regions – have been incorporated into the overall prospecting plans of mineral resources security projects.

By People's Daily Online