Published : 12/10/2026
Mineral reserves form the material foundation of a nation, and are a matter of the national economy, the people's livelihood and national security.
According to the latest report, China's reserves of 14 strategic minerals are ranked firmly as number one in the world, and the exploration work behind this has become increasingly reliant on the help of AI.
Strategic minerals rank first in the world
In September, the Ministry of Natural Resources released the "China Mineral Resources Report 2026".
The report shows that China's reserves of 14 strategic minerals, including rare earths, tungsten, tin, molybdenum, antimony, gallium, germanium, indium, fluorite, and graphite, are ranked firmly as number one in the world; the reserves of 9 other minerals such as coal, iron, manganese, and titanium also rank among the top four in the world.
Abundant mineral resources are not only due to favourable natural conditions but also reliant on exploration technology.
In recent years, driven by AI technology, "intelligent mineral prospecting" and "intelligent mapping" have emerged.
Prospecting for minerals underground is not an easy task; before a mine is exploited, a series of works, such as geological surveys, mineral exploration, and resource assessment, must first be undertaken.
Many difficulties are faced during the process, for example, different data from geology, geophysical exploration, geochemical exploration, and remote sensing are scattered across different platforms, and relying on manual labour to identify faint clues from massive amounts of data is very inefficient, with the completion of a predictive assessment project often taking several weeks or even months.
From relying on experience to relying on technology
"Intelligent mineral prospecting" has changed this model, using AI technology to transform mineral prospecting from being reliant on experience to being reliant on intelligence.
The working model of "intelligent mineral prospecting" is: multi-source data is fed to the AI, the system combines millions of built-in knowledge graph entries and over 200 data algorithms to perform analysis, acting like a super "data analysis consultant" to automatically delineate favourable prospecting zones and exploration target areas, and then generates three-dimensional geological structure models and predictive reports.
It is not that minerals cannot be found without this system. But with this technology, the scope of exploration can be significantly narrowed, and the time spent on blind exploration in the field can be reduced.
Predictive assessment work that originally took half a year to complete can now be implemented within a week, and the efficiency of the entire process is increased by more than 60%.
Taking the gold deposit prediction in the West Qinling Mountains as an example, the system can complete the data processing and predictive assessment for 32 map sheets at a 1:50,000 scale in just 5 days, quickly identifying and delineating two gold prospecting target areas and four favourable prospecting areas, greatly improving efficiency.
Creating a "geological navigation map"
If mineral prospecting is about "clearly understanding what is underground", then geological mapping is about "clearly depicting what is on the surface"; it involves creating a precise navigation map for the underground world of minerals, figuring out the distribution patterns of strata, structures, and rocks, and is the most fundamental preliminary work for subsequent exploration.
In the past, this work was completed entirely "by hand" by geologists—they would conduct field observations and record geological phenomena along predetermined routes, then return indoors to synthesise the analyses into maps.
The approach of the "intelligent mapping" system, however, is to integrate the professional knowledge accumulated over generations by geologists into a knowledge base, and then use deep learning algorithms to automatically identify geological data, accurately restoring the spatial distribution and interrelationships of geological bodies.
Test data shows that this system's identification accuracy for various geological bodies exceeds 90%, and its efficiency is more than 50% higher than traditional manual methods.
At the same time, it can also automatically generate geological maps and charts such as field route maps, plan views, cross-section diagrams, and columnar sections.
More importantly, it is particularly suitable for those remote and difficult-to-reach areas, such as high-altitude mountainous areas, forest swamps, desert grasslands, etc.
These areas, where traditional manual operations are difficult and high-risk, are precisely where the intelligent mapping system can best demonstrate its value.
Currently, the "intelligent prospecting" and "intelligent mapping" systems have been put into trial use in more than ten provincial administrative regions such as Xizang, Xinjiang, Shandong, and Inner Mongolia.
The China Geological Survey is also in discussions with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan regarding application cooperation, preparing to share China's intelligent prospecting experience.
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