Geological Survey and Prospecting of Strategic Minerals in Northwest China

Mineral resources are the cornerstone of a country's economic and social development. The major discoveries of strategic minerals have played an irreplaceable key role in serving national strategies and ensuring the security of national mineral resources. In the future, mineral resources will continue to play a vital role in economic and social development in China. The geological structure in Northwest China with abundant mineral resources has a complicated geological evolution process. To comprehensively summarize the metallogenic regularities and resource potentials of important metallogenic belts in Northwest China, this article divides the major achievements of geological surveys in Northwest China into three periods. These three periods are from the establishment of the Northwest Geological Survey in 1962 to the end of the 1990s, from 1999 to the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, respectively. The geological survey and mineral exploration work in Northwest China focused on economic and social development throughout the entire process, served the country's major strategic needs, innovated the understanding of mineralization theory, explored techniques and methods, and driven the remarkable results of geological survey and mineral exploration. It contributed to the modernization of Northwest China's industry, the development of the western region, the national strategy for poverty alleviation, the construction of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt, and the revitalization of the countryside. It comprehensively leads services and supports the construction of ecological civilization and the rapid and high-quality development of economic and social health. To ensure the national economic security, national defense security, and the development of strategic emerging industries, the Northwest Geological Survey is fully obeyed and served in the "Strategic Mineral Prospecting Action Program (2021-2035)", which covers copper, nickel, cobalt, and rare metals, to make new contributions to breakthroughs in prospecting for strategic minerals, to comprehensively improve the ability and level of strategic mineral resources in the northwestern region, and to ensure national demand and resource security.