Thick concealed REE ore bodies discovered in Mianning-Dechang metallogenic belt

Chinese geologists have made a significant discovery of thick, concealed rare-earth element (REE) ore bodies in the Mianning-Dechang REE belt, one of the country's most important rare-earth districts. The find, located in the Mianning work area of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, marks a landmark step in exploring deeply buried REE deposits under thick cover and provides fresh physical evidence to support regional resource expansion and production growth.

The breakthrough came from the "Strategic Emerging Industry Mineral Geological Survey and Block Optimization" project, led by the Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (CAGS). Drilling operations were carried out by the Xining Natural Resources Comprehensive Survey Center, China Geological Survey.

The borehole, designated TZK0301 (azimuth 90°, dip 55°), was spudded on August 1, 2026, and completed on August 24 at a final depth of 413.85 meters. After penetrating approximately 114.5 meters of Quaternary overburden, the drill hole intersected an ore-bearing fracture zone with an apparent thickness exceeding 200 meters.

Preliminary field logging and on-site rapid analysis using a handheld XRF spectrometer revealed three distinct concealed REE ore horizons within the hole, with a cumulative apparent thickness of about 22.4 meters. The highest total rare-earth oxide (TREO) grade reached 6.61%, with an average grade of 3.00% (final results pending laboratory confirmation).