Mineral resources in Dazhou

Mineral resources in Dazhou

As of 2012, 38 kinds of minerals have been found in Dazhou City, with more than 250 producing areas. Among them, there are 28 proven reserves, 146 producing areas, 28 exploitable and 21 developed. The proven reserves of stone coal are 763 million tons, including 580 million tons of retained reserves, 122 million tons of off balance sheet reserves and 639 million tons of coking coal. It is mainly distributed in Dachuan District, Tongchuan District, Dazhu County, Xuanhan County, Quxian County, Kaijiang County and Wanyuan city.

Dazhou has a prospective natural gas reserve of 3.8 trillion cubic meters and a proven natural gas reserve of 660 billion cubic meters. It is the largest potential gas field in China after Tarim gas field and Ordos gas field in Inner Mongolia. Sinopec has discovered the largest and most abundant marine integrated gas field in China so far in Puguang, Xuanhan. The proven natural gas reserves are up to 356.1 billion cubic meters, which is expected to reach 770 billion cubic meters by 2009. The daily open flow rate of a single well in luowentieshanpo gas field of Wanyuan, PetroChina, is as high as 15.5 million cubic meters, which is the highest in China. PetroChina and Sinopec have taken Dazhou as the main battlefield for natural gas exploration and exploitation during the Eleventh Five Year Plan period. By 2010, five natural gas purification plants, including Puguang, Luojiazhai, Tieshanpo, Dukouhe and Shihe, will be built, with a natural gas processing capacity of 74 million cubic meters per day, an annual increase of 20 billion cubic meters of commercial natural gas and an annual output of 4.5 million tons of sulfur.

The reserves of iron ore are 37.43 million tons, and the predicted reserves are 14 million tons. They are mainly distributed in Hongqi, feldspar, urban area, guanba, paddy field, beach and other places in Wanyuan city. Dachuan district is emerging, Xuanhan County Xinhua, Fankai, Qibei, Tiansheng, SHANGXIA and other places are also distributed. A manganese deposit was found in the xiane area of Tianba, Dazhu River, Wanyuan city. The deposit extends more than 30 km, and only 1.135 million tons of off surface D-grade reserves of rhodochrosite have been proved in the area of 8 km in the north section. The highest content of manganese is 36.27% and the lowest is 11.1%.

Vanadium ore is mainly distributed in pujiaba and gebangxi areas of Dazhu River in Wanyuan City, with grade D reserves, 428800 tons of vanadium pentoxide and 59.18 million tons of ore. Bauxite is distributed in huazunshan area of Wanyuan City, with a length of 18 km and a thickness of 0.43-3.2 M. The proven reserves are 840000 tons, with an average grade of 35% - 51%. Limestone in Wanyuan City, Quxian County, Tongchuan District in some areas of proven reserves of 500 million tons. Dazhu County, Xuanhan County, Dachuan district are exposed. The geological reserves of Dazhou city are about 2 billion tons.

As of 2012, the proven reserves of gypsum are 230 million tons, mainly distributed in Quxian, Wanyuan City, Dachuan district and other districts and counties. The rock salt deposit is located in the north end of Tieshan anticline in Dachuan District, with an area of 12 square kilometers and a prospective reserve of more than 200 million tons; the northwest salt bearing block area of Xuanhan County covers an area of 14 square kilometers with a prospective reserve of more than 400 million tons; the Luojiang and Wangjia salt bearing blocks in Xuanhan county have an area of 12 square kilometers and a prospective reserve of more than 90 million tons.

The potassium rich brine reserves are 339 million m3 and 165 million m3 respectively, which are mainly distributed in Xuanhan county. The prospective reserve of dolomite is 22.72 million tons, that of silica is 500 million tons, that of potash mine is 10 million tons, that of barium ore is more than 200000 tons, that of cast stone is more than 500 million tons, and that of marble is more than 20 million cubic meters. Other non-metallic minerals include 5 million tons of refractory clay, 6.31 million tons of phosphate rock, 2 million tons of pyrite, 117600 tons of bentonite (commonly known as white mud), and 6.95 million tons of shale and clay.