According to China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, a new round of the Strategic Action for Prospecting Breakthroughs has achieved new results. In the Maoniuping mining area of Mianning County, Sichuan Province, the world’s second largest light rare earth mine has been discovered.
According to the introduction, in the project to verify and explore rare earth mineral resources in the area, an additional 9.6656 million tons of rare earth oxides were discovered, an increase in reserves of over 300%, making it the world’s second largest rare earth mine in terms of operating resources. Rare earth oxides are widely used in magnetic materials, phosphor materials, and other fields, and are indispensable elements in modern industry and high-end manufacturing.
In addition to rare earth oxides, the mining area also discovered new associated resources: 27.135 million tons of fluorite and 37.228 million tons of barite, both of which are super-large in scale.
According to Jimu News citing experts, Maoniuping’s fluorite and barite are both associated minerals of rare earth mines. Fluorite, also known as fluorspar, is primarily composed of calcium fluoride and, as a nonrenewable resource, is the source of industrial fluorine elements, being crucial for emerging and future industries.