It was discovered in China the largest gold deposit which has been found in the country since 1949 and one of the largest in the world. It’s that of Dadonggouin the province of Liaoning, in Northeast Chinaand is estimated to contain 1444 tons of gold, for an economic value of approximately 192 billion euros. Even if in this deposit the concentration of gold in the rock is low, and therefore the costs of extracting the mineral are very high, an initial economic feasibility assessment has already been passed. The discovery, confirmed by the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources, could in the future contribute to China’s independence in metal supply, which is already the largest gold producer in the world.
The discovery of gold deposits in China
The Dadonggou field is located in Liaodong Mining Districtnear the north-eastern edge of North China Craton. The latter is an ancient mountain range dismantled by erosion, which represents the region with the largest gold production in China and hosts some of the most important gold deposits in the world. The particular geological context, made up of metamorphic and magmatic rocks, has made it possible to form deposits of the precious metal starting from fluids circulating within the fractures. Exploring the site, extended approximately 32km2lasted 15 months, involved around 1000 technicians and workers and took place through 219 perforations of the subsoil. It is estimated that the deposit may contain 1444 tons of gold, for an economic value of approximately 192 billion euros. It must be specified that the concentration of gold inside the rock is low, therefore to extract approximately 0.56 g of gold must be removed and processed a ton of rock: this involves very high costs. This is just the latest in a series of gold deposits identified in China in recent years: the most recent, containing 1000 tonnes of ore, was discovered in 2024 in Hunan province, southern China. The one in Dadonggou, however, is the largest ever found since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
Future prospects
The mineral exploration project was carried out by Liaoning Geological and Mining Groupstate-run, which formed a partnership to develop the mine together with the China National Gold Group and the Yingkou Municipal Government. From 2024 to 2027 it is planned to invest 2.82 billion dollars to create a mining industry that includes the phases of site exploration, extraction and processing of rock volumes, ore smelting, production and marketing of gold artefacts. The discovery of the deposit, made at a time when the price of gold has reached historic highs, is the result of increasingly significant investments of China in the geological exploration of its territory. The country already exists the largest gold producer in the worldbut consumes more than it can extract. The goal is to achieve independence in metal supply, strengthening its economy and its position in the global mining market.
