Recently, the new round of mineral exploration breakthrough strategic action in Jiangsu Province has achieved major results again. A large strontium mine has been added in the Lishui area of Nanjing. After the review of the mineral resources reserve, the inferred reserves of strontium ore (tianqingite) reach 54.55 million tons, the mineral amount reaches 26.54 million tons, and the average grade is 48.65%.
Strontium is an important rare metal, which is widely used in special ceramic materials, magnetic alloy manufacturing and other fields. The northeast part of the Lishui Basin is an important strontium mine resource in Jiangsu.
Since the "14th Five-Year Plan", the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Natural Resources has invested 21.96 million RMB in provincial geological survey special funds for the exploration of strontium mines, and deployed two projects in the Nanjing Lishui area, namely the strontium mine prospecting and the strontium-germanium-copper multi-metallic mine exploration in the volcanic rock basin of Masan Tou-West Lake Village, which have achieved good results. The Masan Tou-West Lake Village strontium mine prospecting project, which has achieved significant results this time, was undertaken and implemented by the Jiangsu Provincial Institute of Geology. In view of the high degree of strontium mine prospecting in the Lishui area, as well as the extensive coverage of the fourth system and the large impact of human activities, the institute has carried out research from the geological evolution history of the Lishui Basin, the mechanical properties of various faults, the evolution process and the subordinate relationship, and for the first time established the strontium mine genetic model and prospecting model of the Lishui Basin, and proposed a new deep prospecting recognition that there is a second ore space in the down-dip of the Kaitai-Baima Mountain basement fault. On this basis, after drilling verification, five hidden strontium ore bodies have been newly discovered in the Masan Tou area, which points out the direction for the future prospecting of strontium mines in the Lishui Basin. In addition, a number of hidden copper, lead-zinc, and pyrite ore bodies have also been newly discovered in the working area, and combined with the genetic law summarized in this summary, a new idea of comprehensive prospecting of strontium, copper, lead-zinc multi-metals has been proposed.
Jiangsu Provincial Department of Natural Resources said it will continue to implement the work arrangements of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and the government, and take precise measures, innovate and empower, and overcome difficulties for different mineral species in the next step. It aims to achieve greater results in the new round of mineral exploration and make a contribution to the high-quality economic and social development of the province.
This discovery will exert significant impacts on the global strontium market in terms of resource pattern, supply-demand dynamics, and price trends, as detailed below:
1. Reshaping the Global Strontium Resource Pattern: Global strontium resources are primarily concentrated in countries such as China, Spain, and Mexico. This new discovery has established the Lishui Basin in China as a world-class strontium resource concentration area, further consolidating China’s important position in the global strontium resource sector. It enhances China’s weight in the global distribution of strontium resources and helps strengthen China’s discourse power in the international strontium resource market.
2. Influencing Market Supply-Demand Dynamics Historically: China’s external dependence on strontium resources has long exceeded 60%. The discovery of this new deposit will help increase China’s self-sufficiency rate in strontium ore and reduce its reliance on imports. This will trigger certain changes in the global strontium trade flow: part of the strontium resources originally supplied to China may be redirected to other markets. In turn, this will affect the global strontium supply-demand balance and enhance the supply stability of the global strontium market.
3. Stabilizing Strontium Price Trends: In recent years, the growing global focus on high-tech industries has driven a continuous increase in demand for strontium ore. The discovery of the large-scale strontium deposit in Jiangsu has raised expectations for market supply. Assuming no significant changes on the demand side, the increased supply will ease market tensions, exert a certain restraining effect on the upward trend of strontium prices, and help stabilize global strontium prices while reducing large price fluctuations.
4. Promoting Technological Development in the Strontium Industry: Prior to this discovery, the Lishui area in Jiangsu had already undergone extensive exploration, and strontium prospecting was extremely challenging due to complex geological conditions. However, the exploration team successfully identified the new deposit by establishing a strontium mineralization model and a prospecting exploration model. This provides new ideas and technical methods for global strontium exploration, potentially encouraging other countries and regions to learn from these experiences, intensify their efforts in strontium resource exploration, and advance the development of global strontium exploration technologies.
5. Enhancing Industrial Competitiveness: The new deposit offers more development opportunities for China’s strontium industry. Leveraging the abundant resource endowment, enterprises can increase investment in fields such as strontium ore deep processing, extend the industrial chain, and improve product added value. This will enhance the competitiveness of China’s strontium industry in the global market and, in turn, reshape the competitive landscape of the global strontium industry.
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