China Mn Ore Resource Overview

By Tan Zhuzhong, President of the National Friendship

Association of Mn Ore

Changsha Hunan
2006.3.20
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 Manganese ore is an important raw material in
the steel industry. Along with the development of
China's steel industry, prospecting for manganese
ore has also increased significantly. Below, is a brief
introduction to Chinas Mn ore resources and
production situation:

1. Chinas Mn ore resources

At the end of 2002, China had 237 registered
manganese mines. The total quantity of manganese
ore resources/reserves was 815 million tons, hold
the resources/reserves 688 million tons, foundation
reserves 201 million tons, resource reserves 487
million tons, reserves only 130 million tons.
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There are four main characteristics of Chinese
manganese ore resources : poor, thin, mixed, fine.

Poor means poor manganese content. The average of

manganese content is only 22%.
Thin refers to thin mineral deposit : Most deposits are
1~1.5m in thickness.
Mixed: means the ore contains sulfur, phosphorus and
other harmful elements. The majority of manganese
carbonate ore contains high phosphorus. It can not be
used to make alloy.
Fine means the ore size is fine. Most manganese carbonate
ore granularity is 10~40u. Therefore, it is difficult to
perform concentration by machinery. Manganese
carbonate resources comprise of all manganese ore
resources.
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 China manganese ore resources are distributed
widely throughout 21 provinces and regions in
Guangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Chongqing,
Liaoning and Sichuan provinces. But the scale of
deposits are all quite small. Only Guangxi Daxin
manganese mine, Guiping manganese mine,
Liaoning Wafangzhi manganese mine, Guizhou
Zunyi manganese mine and Hunan Huayuan
manganese mine reserves are bigger than 20 million
tons. Guangxi Daxin manganese mine is the
biggest one in China with resources/reserves of
over 100 million tons.
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 2002 China main Mn mine resource/reserves
Basic
Reserves Resource Total
Province Mine No. reserves (%)
(kt) (kt) (kt)
(kt)

Guangxi 49 46196 69106 154274 2233800 32.46

Hunan 15 32299 44772 74958 1197300 17.4

Yunnan 21 5563 12886 803245 932100 13.54

Guizhou 17 17148 24505 52138 766400 11.14

Chongqin
5 1161 18142 22556 407000 5.91
g

Liaoning 3 7578 11287 28703 39993 5.81

Sichuan 8 88 263 26913 27176 3.95

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Total 148 110033 180961 439868 620829 90.2
 45.8% of total manganese ore resources and
reserves in China have already been explored. An
additional 48.4% have been explored in detail. The
general survey is about 5.8%. In another words
94.2% of manganese ore resources or reserves can
be used and mined. This shows Chinas manganese
ore geological measurements have been well done.
The investigation depth has achieved 300~500
meters generally.
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 China Mn mine reconnaissance 1
Reconnaissance Reconnaissance detailedly General reconnaissance

Basic Basic
Basic res. Mine
Mine No. % Mine No. res % res. %
(kt) No.
(kt) (kt)
China 43 250869 45.80 113 265099 48.40 62 31737 5.80
Beijing 1 35 100
Tianjin 1 28 100
Hebei 5 142 100
Shanxi 1 4730 82.81 3 982 17.19
Mongolia 1 350 31.59 4 725 65.43 2 33 2.98
Liaoning 1 31056 81.02 2 7274 18.98
Jilin 3 148 100
Fujian 13 4175 71.83 8 1637 28.17
Jiangxi 1 3671 100
Henan 1 15 100

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 China Mn mine reconnaissance 2
Reconnaissance Reconnaissance detailedly General reconnaissance

Basic Basic
Basic res.
Mine No. res. % Mine No. res % Mine No. %
(kt)
(kt) (kt)

Hubei 6 13862 99.72 1 39 0.28

Hunan 13 54262 53.59 19 44154 43.60 12 2845 2.81

Guangdong 7 4171 72.67 2 1568 27.32

Guangxi 12 100677 47.62 28 107035 50.61 7 3787 1.79

Hainan 1 98 100
Chongqing 3 24678 100

Sichuan 2 558 33.02 1 475 28.2 1 5267 7.34

Yunan 4 23195 59.44 8 10062 25.79 5 5764 14.77

Shaanxi 3 9571 79.91 3 2436 20.29

Gansu 1 42 2.40 9 1705 97.60

Xinjiang 2 3797 42.17 5 5207 57.83
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 Along with the fast growth of the China steel

industry, manganese ore demand has increased

year by year. IN addition to the increased quantity
of manganese ore imports, the Chinese
government has increased investments in
exploration for manganese mines every year in an
effort to increase national manganese ore
resources.
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 1984~2000 China exploration expenses for Mn mine
Exploration expenses
Year Exploration reserves (kt Cost (rmb/t)
(10k rmb)
1984 19884 1051.74
1985 11620 1883.92 0.93/t
1986 12850 1425.97
1987 10370 1273.87
1988 25510 1282.6
1989 15000 910.5
1990 12000 1318.31 0.82/t
1991 15770 2186.24
1992 1880 2910.67
1993 16039.4 2294.31
1994 15790 2181.88
1995 10000 1639.09 1.89/t
1996 3150 2249.10
1997 9080 1033.9
1998 3260 2134.7
1999 110 2477.4
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2000 34000 1638.3 1.92/t
Ave 12724.4 1758.38
 The manganese ore geological investigation,
China manganese ore geologists established a
high quality standard for manganese ore
prospecting based on manganese ore resource
characteristic as well as technical level - high
quality manganese ore: Mn/Fe >= 6 and P/Mn <=
0.003

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 With a long-term prospecting strategy, China manganese
mine geologists have conducted their research thoroughly to
determine manganese ore origin and manganese ore deposit
type division. This attention to quality illustrates the Chinese
system of prospecting, by proposing the deposit typology of
manganese ore by the basin - lithic facies - contained the
manganese rock series - manganese ore level - high quality
manganese ore. They propose the new theory for
prospecting manganese mines at a latitude of 23 north.

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 Some new technologies and methods have also been
applied in the manganese mine prospecting process. Since
MnCO3 a characteristic of weak magnetism, geologist have
decided to use the high accuracy magnetic prospecting, and
apply the electrical method all of which have provided good
results.
Because manganese has a vital role in the development of
the steel industry, the Chinese government has already listed
manganese in the strategic mineral resource list, using many
technologies to develop manganese resources investigation.
So we believe China manganese reserves will be increased
continually.
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Chinese manganese ore production

China has already become the biggest

manufacturing country of SiMn, FeMn, EMM, EMD,
and MnSO4 in the world. Almost all of these
products are produced by the internal low-grade
manganese ore except SiMn and FeMn. All EMD is
produced by low-grade MnCO3 ore; 95% of EMM is
produced by MnCO3 ore; MnSO4 is produced by
Mn35% MnO2.

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 China Mn series products output

No. Item In 2004/kt In 2005/kt

1 HCFeMn 1250

2 SiMn 2680

3 MLCFeMn 230

4 EMM 494 566

5 EMD 117 146

6 MnSO4 160 180 15

 China has 600 manganese mines. The
overwhelming majority are small mines. Only 25
mines have an output of over 100kt mt. The total
productivity is 12000ktpa. In 2004 the total output
was 10150kt, including 45% MnCO3 and 55% MnO2.
In 2005 the domestic manganese ore output still at
counts, but it probably is same as in 2004.
Estimated domestic manganese ore output will be
able to surpass 12 million tons in 2010. Producers
are located in 12 provinces.
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MnO2 (38%)

55% MnCO3 (Mn

18%)

45%

17
 2004 China Mn ore output
2000

1500

1000

500

0
Cho Gua Hun Sha Yun Gui Lia Hub Fuj Sha Gua Sic
ngq ngx an nxi nan zho oni ei ian anx ngd hua
Mn ore output/kt 1700 1600 1400 1300 1150 900 500 350 250 250 150 100 18
 2004 China main Mn mine & company
No. Company Name Output/kt Mn% Mn content/kt

1 Guangxi Daxin Mn mine 308 30 92.43

2 Chongqing Chengkou Mn mine 300 22 66.00

3 Yunnan Wendoushan Mn mine 250 24 60.00

4 Hubei Changyang Mn mine 350 17 58.00

5 Guangxi Tianden Mn mine 195 28 55.00

6 Shanxi Lingqiu Mn company 150 25 37.00

7 Shanix Lingqiu Jindi 150 24 36.00

8 Yunnan Heqing Mn mine 80 40 32.00

9 Shanxi Lingqiu Hengtai 120 23.5 28.20

10 Chongqing Xiushan Laoshangou 150 18.6 27.90

11 Hunan Huayuan Dongfang 140 19.5 27.90
12 Shanxi Lingqiu Zhongyuan 120 23.0 27.60
13 Hunan Huayuan Hengtai 150 18.0 27.00

14 Hunan Huayuan Paiwu Mn mine 130 20 26.00

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15 Guizhou Zunyi Mn mine 130 19.9 25.87
 Because many China manganese deposits
are small, thin and have low mining returns-ratio,
only about 55% of mines over 100,000tpa achieve
70~75% mining returns-ratio. The best returns-ratio
is about 85%.
Only a few manganese mines like Guangxi
Daxing, Guangxi Tiaden and Fujian Liancheng are
open mines, all others are underground mines.
Mine ecological environment and safety have had
already experienced great improvement. But the
partial small mines still have many problems and
need further diligent improvement.

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 In order to enhance the manganese content to satisfy
demand, we did extensive research in mechanical separation
by gravity selection, the flotation process selection, the
magnetic separation as well as the bacterium selection
successively. We have obtained very good results using
magnetic separation. Five kinds of machines are used in the
processing. Presently, the DPMS series cylinder permanent
magnetic ore separator is being used in Zhongxing Dameng
Manganese Mine Industry Co., Ltd. Besides, Yunan Doushan
manganese mine and Fujian Liancheng manganese mine
have also achieved in the application. The ore concentrate
may enhance 3~5%, MnO2 in Liancheng may enhance above
10%. 21
 China has solved effectively the low grade iron
manganese ore concentration problem. In 2004 we
produced more than 1.4 million tons manganese
sinter with Mn35% content. It provided the high
quality raw material for the SiMn industry.

Although we have done extensive work in

manganese resources investigation, as the
resources is limited we have to import large amounts
of high grade manganese ore from overseas to
supply the Chinese steel industry.

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2000-2005 China import Mn ore quantity

6000

4000

2000

0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Quantity/kt 1200 1710 2080 2860 4640 4570
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In 2005 the Chinese government issued a new exportation policy and
the manganese ore import quantity has reduced since September
2005. It drops 1.4% compared in 2004 (4.5784 million tons). However,
the price rose 18.5% compared in 2004 (US$149.29/ton). In 2005
China imported manganese ore for the following countries:
Australian - 1.5689 million tons;
Gabonese - 611,700 tons;
Ghana - 554,400 tons;
Brazil - 553,200 tons;
South Africa - 355,800 tons;
Burma - 271,600 tons;
U.S - 185,400 tons;
India - 142,100 tons;
Kazakhstan - 89,900 tons;
Vietnam - 57,100 tons;
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Indonesia - 48,900 tons
2005 China import Mn ore quantity and country
Country Quantity/kt
Australia 1568.9
Gabon 611.7
Ghana 554.4
Brazil 553.2
South Africa 355.8
Burma 271.6
U.S 185.4
India 142.1
Kazakstan 89.9
View Nam 57.1
Indonesia 48.9 25
3, Forecast

Looking for high-grade and easily mined

manganese ore is the top goal for Chinese
geologists. But at present the availability of low-
grade ore is great and high-grade ore is rare, a
situation impossible to change in the short term.

Saving resources, enhancing the mining

returns-ratio, environment protection are all still the
priorities for China manganese mine direction.

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 Chinese engineers and technicians have
already achieved the solution independently to use
low grade of MnCO3 ore. Now 90% of EMM and 50%
of EMD in the world is produced using low grade
MnCO3 ore.

Using internal and import manganese ore is the

long-term strategy for the China manganese industry.
When the price is reasonable, manganese imports
will be over 5 million tons a year.

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 Thanks everybody!

Special thanks for three professors - Song Xiong,

Mao Yiming and Li Tongqing to provide the most
recent data.

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