Over 1,000 tonnes: Supergiant gold deposit discovered in central China's Hunan

A massive gold deposit with estimated reserves exceeding 1,000 tonnes has been discovered in central China's Hunan Province, the Geological Bureau of Hunan Province announced on Thursday.

Geologists identified over 40 gold veins, with a reserve of 300 tonnes, within a depth of 2,000 meters beneath the Wangu Goldfield in Pingjiang County, according to the bureau. The total gold reserve at depths reaching 3,000 meters is estimated to surpass 1,000 tonnes, with an estimated value of 600 billion yuan (approximately $83 billion).

The current exploration efforts have been successful largely due to the application of new technologies in conducting exploration at depths above 1,500 meters. According to ore prospecting expert Chen Rulin, the success rate has been exciting – out of 55 drilled holes in regions above 1,500 meters, 48 have revealed the presence of gold, achieving a discovery rate of 87.3 percent. In addition, gold deposits were also found in two drill holes at depths of 2,000 meters, indicating the extraordinary scale of potential reserves.

Wu Jun, a director of the Hunan Province Geological Disaster Survey and Monitoring Institute, stated that the Wangu Goldfield is the largest gold deposit discovered in Hunan's history. Nationwide, only around five gold deposits of such scale exist. The exploration efforts have spanned 30 years, during which geological experts have continuously worked on sample collection, drilling, and conducting comprehensive research at the site.

While deposits have already been identified at a depth of 2,000 meters, the exploration is ongoing. Wu indicated that based on current predictions, what has been discovered so far represents only a small fraction of this reserve. Upcoming exploration will focus on the fringes and peripheral regions of the field to locate the remaining 700 tonnes of gold resources.

"Many drilled rock cores showed visible gold," said Chen Rulin, adding that a tonne of ore in the 2,000-meter range contained up to 138 grams of gold.

Liu Yongjun, deputy head of the Geological Bureau, highlighted that advanced ore prospecting technologies, such as 3D geological modeling, were used at the site. He added that gold was also found during drills conducted in peripheral areas, revealing promising future prospects.

(With input from Xinhua. Cover via CFP)