24 January 2007
Large mineral reserves discovered along Tibetan railway
(Xinhua) Chinese geologists have discovered 16 large copper, iron, lead and zinc ore deposits along the Golmud-Lhasa railway since 1999, according to a top geological surveyor. Geologists initially found five non-ferrous metal deposits along the railway’s route with total possible reserves of more than 20 million tons of copper and 10 million tons of lead and zinc, said Meng Xianlai, director of the China Geological Survey (CGS) under the Ministry of Land and Resources. Estimated reserves of 760 million tons of high-grade iron ore were also found. Chinese 'experts' say the exploration of mineral resources along the railway is "significant to the railway's efficient use, regional economic development and meeting the country's resource demands".