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China is home to 173 different types of minerals resources, with their known reserves increasing by the day. In 2023, natural gas was the most abundant mineral resource in the country, with some *** trillion cubic meters. Furthermore, with China's establishment of the Ministry of Natural Resources in 2020, the mining industry has developed rapidly in the direction of environment-friendly practices. 

China’s fossil mineral reserves

Of the overall investment in geological exploration made by China, a majority is allocated to discovering fossil mineral reserves. Fossil minerals primarily include coal, natural gas, and crude oil. In fact, among the newly explored reserves of China’s major mineral resources, the three largest reserves were of coal, crude oil, and natural gas. Moreover, coal is second-most invested in with regards to geological exploration of major non-oil and gas resources.

Metal ore mining in China

Metals such as iron, copper, titanium, and gold are much valued for their industrial purposes. China is among the few large countries in the world to have a complete mineral resource palette and is a leading exporter of these essential raw materials. China’s lead reserves saw a **** percent growth in 2023. Meanwhile, that year China invested around *** million yuan in the geological exploration of lead and zinc. In 2023, the country had nearly ** million tons of lead reserves.