China seas hold 40b tons of oilgas reserves
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-02-26 10:28

Vice-Minister of Land and Resources Shou Jiahua announced the survey results in Beijing on February 25, saying China's offshore area had total oilgas reserves equivalent to 21.3 billion to 24.5 billion tons of oil, he said.

The progress made in the survey would help alleviate China's energy shortage problems, and provide support for the sustainable development of the national economy, he said.

The survey found 38 fields in China's maritime domain, as well as natural gas hydrate, a new type of high-efficiency energy resource that experts believe may be widely used in the 21st Century, for the first time, said Shou.

China had 421 sites with newly found mineral reserves, with copper ore reserves of 12 million tons, lead-zinc ore reserves of 30 million tons, bauxite reserves of 56 million tons, high-quality manganese ore of 89 million tons, and ferromanganese reserves of 115 million tons, Shou said.

The survey showed China had groundwater reserves of 923.5 billion cubic meters and 352.7 billion of which can be opened up for use as fresh underground water.

China had invested 4.4 billion yuan (US$530 million) into the five-year survey, involving 15,000 geologists of whom 10 died in the course of their duties, he said.

Close