Chromite Reserves and Resources in China

Source: China Mining Association

By the end of 1997, 56 chromite ore districts had been identified with retained reserves of 9.002 million tons, of which 3.611 million tons belong to categories A+B+C. The reserves obtained in the detailed reconnaissance and exploration stages amount to over 97% of the total chromite reserves of the country.

According to Prof. Li Tong from the Beijing University of Science and Technology, the total resources of chromite is estimated at 44 million tons.

Statistics made by the USGS show that the world’s total chromite reserves were 3.7 billion tons in 1998 with the reserve base of 7.5 billion tons. South Africa is the leading country with chromite reserves of 3 billion tons and the reserve base of 5.5 billion tons. Countries of secondary importance are Zimbabwe (reserves: 140 million tons; reserve base: 930 million tons), Kazakhstan (reserves: 320 million tons; reserve base: 320 million tons), and Russia (reserves: 4 million; reserve base: 460 million). Other major countries include Finland, India, Brazil, Turkey and Albania. Comparison between the reserves of categories A+B+C of China and the reserve bases of these countries shows that China is far behind them.

The 56 explored chromite ore districts are distributed in 13 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, including Tibet, which has retained reserves of 2.481 million tons, amounting to 27.6% of the national total; Inner Mongolia with retained reserves of 1.744 million tons (19.4%); Xinjiang with retained reserves of 1.703 million tons (18.9%); and Gansu with retained reserves of 1.443 million tons (16.0%). Moreover, Beijing, Qinghai, Hebei, Jilin, Hubei, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan and Yunnan have retained reserves of 1.631 million tons in total, accounting for 18.1% of China’s total (Table 3.4.1)

In terms of the six large administrative regions of China, the chromite deposits are largely distributed in Northwest China (3.699 million tons, 41.1%), North China (2.749 million tons, 30.5%), and Southwest China (2.493 million tons, 27.7%). Merely 0.7% of the total retained reserves of chromite are explored in Northeast China and South-Central China and even no chromite deposit has ever been discovered in East China so far

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