Mineweb: Massive metals deposits revealed along China's Qinghai-Tibet Railway
29 January 2007
Mineweb

(Mineweb.com) --Chinese geologists have disclosed one of the closely-held secrets that motivated the nation to spend US$3.7 billion on the Tibet railway: the discovery of large mineral deposits that may reduce the nations dependence on mineral imports.

Critics had long questioned Chinas claim that the development of Tibet was the sole reason behind the building of the 1,956-km Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Now, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua has reported that Meng Xiani, director of the China Geological Survey (CGS), has revealed that 16 large copper, lead, zinc, iron iron and crude oil deposits along the railway are expected to yield 18 million tons of copper, and 10 million tons of lead and zinc.

One copper deposit on Qulong has a proven reserve of 7.89 million tons, second only to the countrys largest copper mine in Dexing in Chinas Jiangxi Province. The CGS believes the copper reserves in Quolong could reach 18 million tons, making it the largest copper deposit in the country.

Zhang said three major copper deposits in Qulong and in Yunan Provinces Pulang and Yangla regions, will add 26.78 million tons of copper to Chinas reserves, increase total mined copper output by almost a third, and reduce Chinas dependence on copper imports. Chinas copper miners currently produce about 600,000 tons of copper annually. The nation imported another 731,200 tons of refined copper from January to November last year, more than a quarter of its domestic output.

Chinese steel mills are extremely dependent on imported iron ore. The Chinese Geological Survey announced it has found estimated reserves of 760 million tons of high-grade iron ore along the rail line in the Kunglun Mountain on the western Qinghai-Tibet plateau and the southern Xinjiang Province, according to Deputy Director Zhang Hongtao.

Zhang also noted that the Midwestern part of the northern Qiangtang Basin in northern Tibet has favorable conditions and promising resources for oil and gas, according to the Beijing office of the Press Trust of India.

Meanwhile, the official Chinese Government news service Xinhau reported that the China Iron and Steel Association has vowed to cut the number of domestic companies importing iron ore to 90 this year. All outdated steel mills will be closed by the end of the year. The worlds top iron ore consumer, China imported 326 million tons of iron ore in 2006.

At a recent steel and iron ore industry meeting in Kuming City, it was disclosed that 20% of the nations iron-ore importers are expected to be out of business at the end of this year.

Meng said it Chinas economic security would ultimately be endangered if the nation continued to rely on imports of major mineral resources in the long term. He added that the results of the geological survey along the railroad proved it was possible to improve Chinas natural resources security.

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Qinghai-Tibet railway: environment comes before construction
15 June 2006
Xinhua News Agency

LHASA, June 15 (Xinhua) -- China is counting down to the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet railway to tourists on July 1, but there are still lingering doubts as to how the engineering feat will affect the region's eco-system.

There are 60.9 million hectares of national nature reserve on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau through which the 1,142-kilometer railway runs, but Huang Difu, chief commander of the Qinghai-Tibet Construction Headquarters, revealed how environmental protection was made an expensive priority.

"We have spent 1.54 billion yuan (192.5 million U.S. dollars) on protecting rare species and the vulnerable environment," he said.

"To help restoration of the ecosystem, grass was transplanted so it flanks over 300 kilometers of the railway at an altitude of 4300 to 4500 meters," said Sun Yongfu, vice-minister of railways.

Meanwhile, marshland was preserved by relocating grass from low-lying land that was dug out to make way for the railway. The grass was replanted in some artificial depressions made in areas which lacked grass.

Flocks of Tibetan antelopes can move leisurely across a bridge under the railway. "Tibetan antelopes are our bosses, whom we could never provoke," a railway construction worker joked.

To ensure the regular migration of this wild animal, the government built 33 pathways in the forms of bridge and tunnel, according to Huang Difu. The Tibetan antelope is one of the most endangered species in China with only 50,000 at present.

"In the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, we have put environment protection ahead of the project," said La Youyu, deputy commander. La noted that before the project was started, they had conducted comprehensive survey on climate, environment, species and eco-system of the plateau. Their goal was that no water polluted, no earth eroded, no vegetation wrecked, no animal migration hindered, and no scenery ruined.

Evaluation of environment protection units from Tibet and Qinghai in west China confirms that the goal was achieved.