Gas and minerals galore: digging into China’s 5-year push for critical resources

China has invested nearly 450 billion yuan (US$63.2 billion) over the past five years in a strategic mineral-exploration initiative, achieving significant breakthroughs in oil, gas, copper, lithium and uranium.

Since 2021, Chinese geologists have mapped the reserves, distribution and utilisation of 163 mineral types, discovering more than 500 large and medium-sized oil, gas and mineral deposits, officials said at a press conference on Wednesday as the country’s 14th five-year planning period (2021-2025) nears its end.

The results came amid China’s intensified efforts to dominate critical mineral supply chains and reduce its reliance on imports, driven by supply-chain-security considerations and booming demand from new tech development amid geopolitical tensions.

“Mineral resources are a cornerstone of economic and social development … We’ve made major exploration breakthroughs, enhancing energy security and optimising resource structures,” said Xu Dachun, director of the China Geological Survey.

Discoveries include 10 large oilfields, 19 major gas fields, and significant deep coal bed methane reserves, with more than 300 billion cubic metres (10.6 trillion cubic feet) added in northern China’s Ordos Basin alone – nearly matching the prior decade’s total, he said.

These findings, primarily from deep basins and offshore waters, supported China’s stable oil production of about 200 million tonnes and natural gas output exceeding 240 billion cubic metres annually.