It is estimated that the deposit contains about 1,100 tons of gold, the value of which exceeds 83 billion dollars. According to state media, more than 40 gold veins have been discovered that extend to a depth of 3,000 meters, while 3D models show that the gold mass can descend up to 3 kilometers.
Analyzes indicate an extremely high concentration of gold – as much as 138 grams per ton of ore, which is rare even in the world’s largest mines, reports Popular Mechanics. If these estimates are confirmed, the new deposit could surpass South Africa’s South Deep mine, which currently holds the record with 1,025 tonnes of gold.
China is already the largest producer of gold in the world, with around 10% of global production, but also the largest consumer and importer, as it consumes three times more gold than it produces itself.
According to Liu Jongjun of the Geological Bureau of Hunan Province, additional gold structures have been found in the vicinity of the main deposit, suggesting that the total reserves could be even higher.
Globally, about 233,000 tons of gold have been mined so far, of which two-thirds were extracted after 1950. The new Chinese deposit, if it confirms its full potential, could significantly change the global mining industry and further strengthen China’s position on the global gold market.
(Vijesti.ba)
