China has achieved major breakthroughs in oil,gas and uranium exploration during the 14th Five-Year Plan period(2021-25),Xu Dachun,vice minister of natural resources,said on Wednesday.

Deep layers of large basins and deep-water offshore areas have become the main sources for increasing oil and gas reserves and production,supporting the stable production of 200 million tons of crude oil and more than 240 billion cubic meters of natural gas.The discovery of several large uranium deposits has significantly enhanced the security of uranium resource supply,Xu said.

A full survey has been conducted to determine the quantity,distribution,and development status of 163 types of mineral resources with verified reserves,Xu said at a press conference.

In the process,534 large and medium-sized oil and gas fields as well as mineral deposits were discovered,and major breakthroughs were made in the exploration and development of strategic mineral resources such as oil,natural gas,copper,and lithium.

Xu said that nearly 450 billion yuan($63.19 billion)has been invested,leading to a series of major achievements in mineral exploration.

In detail,China discovered 10 large oilfields and 19 large gas fields and major breakthroughs were achieved in deep coalbed methane exploration during the period,Xu said.

For example,the Ordos Basin alone added proven geological reserves exceeding 300 billion cubic meters,nearly equivalent to the total newly discovered reserves of the past decade.These reserves primarily come from deep layers of large basins and deep-water offshore areas,Xu said,adding that the substantial growth in new oil and gas reserves has supported and ensured China's stable oil production of 200 million tons and natural gas production exceeding 240 billion cubic meters.

Additionally,major breakthroughs were made in uranium exploration,particularly with the discovery of two exceptionally large uranium deposits in Jingchuan of Northwest China's Gansu Province,and Jiayin in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province,Xu added.

As to minerals critical for strategic emerging industries,Xu noted that major breakthroughs have also been achieved in minerals critical for strategic emerging industries.For instance,lithium,a core resource for new-energy vehicles,has been discovered in an"Asian Lithium Belt"stretching 2,800 kilometers from east to west across four provinces.

Multiple large and super-large lithium deposits have been identified along this important belt,Xu said.

Also,gains in key technologies have been made,such as extracting lithium resources from potassium salt brines and low-grade lepidolite.

Another critical mineral is helium,which is widely used as a coolant and protective gas in fields such as magnetic resonance imaging,semiconductors,and aviation.

Previously reliant on imports,we have now developed a technological system for extracting helium from natural gas through scientific research,achieving a major breakthrough from scratch in domestic helium production.The domestic capacity can now meet core demand,Xu added.

China's endowed abundant(and scarce)resources are being continuously discovered,which is attributed to the advancement of technology and the improvement of mineral exploration capabilities,Wu Chenhui,an independent analyst who closely follows the critical minerals industry,told the Global Times on Wednesday.

In his view,infrastructure and strategic minerals provide ample"supplies"for China's economic and social development,and the minerals required for high-tech development are also expected to be secured as China has made major breakthroughs in national resources.

In terms of bulk minerals,old resource bases have been revitalized,while new resource bases have emerged.Notably,the preliminary assessment of the Dadonggou gold mine in Northeast China's Liaoning Province indicates gold resources of nearly 1,500 tons,positioning it to become another world-class gold mine in China after the Jiaodong gold mine in East China's Shandong Province.

"We will continue to advance the new round of strategic action for breakthroughs in mineral exploration,intensify exploration and development efforts,and solidly implement various measures to ensure a secure supply of energy and resources,"Xu added.