A monumental gold deposit estimated to hold over 1,000 tonnes of gold has been discovered in Hunan Province, central China, according to an announcement by the Geological Bureau of Hunan Province on Thursday.
The discovery was made in the Wangu Goldfield located in Pingjiang County, where geologists have identified more than 40 gold veins. Within a depth of 2,000 meters, these veins are estimated to contain around 300 tonnes of gold. Projections indicate that at depths reaching 3,000 meters, the total gold reserves could exceed 1,000 tonnes, with an estimated value of approximately 600 billion yuan (about $83 billion).
The success of the exploration is largely attributed to the implementation of advanced technologies that enabled effective exploration below 1,500 meters. Ore prospecting expert Chen Rulin highlighted the impressive success rate achieved during the exploration, noting that out of 55 drill holes in regions above 1,500 meters, 48 revealed the presence of gold—an achievement rate of 87.3%. Notably, gold deposits were also discovered in two drill holes at depths of 2,000 meters, underscoring the vast potential of the reserves.
Wu Jun, director of the Hunan Province Geological Disaster Survey and Monitoring Institute, emphasized the significance of the find, stating that the Wangu Goldfield is the largest gold deposit ever discovered in Hunan’s history. On a national scale, only about five gold deposits of this magnitude have been found across China. The exploration project has spanned three decades, with dedicated geological experts conducting continuous sample collection, drilling operations, and in-depth research at the site.
Despite the substantial findings at depths of 2,000 meters, exploration efforts are set to continue. Wu Jun indicated that the discovered reserves so far represent just a fraction of the total potential. Future exploration will focus on the outer regions and periphery of the goldfield in an effort to locate the remaining estimated 700 tonnes of gold resources.
Chen Rulin noted that many of the drilled rock cores contained visible gold, with some samples from the 2,000-meter depth range containing up to 138 grams of gold per tonne of ore.
Liu Yongjun, deputy head of the Geological Bureau, pointed out that cutting-edge ore prospecting technologies, including 3D geological modeling, were instrumental in the discovery. He added that gold was also found during drilling in surrounding areas, suggesting promising prospects for future exploration and extraction.
Reference(s):
Over 1,000 tonnes supergiant gold deposit discovered in central China
cgtn.com
