In 2023, a total of 227 exploration rights were granted, and 12 large-scale resource bases for iron, titanium, lithium, and other minerals were newly established, according to Li Xiaozhong, Deputy Secretary-General of the People's Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, at the Silk Road Mining Cooperation Forum held in Urumqi on July 18.
　　Xinjiang is a globally significant region rich in energy and metallic mineral resources, and it also serves as an important reserve area for China’s mineral resources. In recent years, Xinjiang has earnestly shouldered its political responsibility of building itself into a national strategic base for energy and resource security, stepping up efforts to explore and develop energy and mineral resources. The value-added of the mining industry and its downstream sectors accounts for approximately 75% of the total value-added of large-scale industrial enterprises across the region. The mining economy has become one of Xinjiang’s key pillar industries.
　　Especially in 2023, with the successive completion and commissioning of a large number of projects—including Sinopec Tarim’s second-phase ethane-to-ethylene plant with an annual capacity of 1.2 million tons, Hami’s coal grading and quality-based utilization project with an annual capacity of 15 million tons, Ruoqiang’s lithium carbonate plant with an annual output of 60,000 tons, and the Kuqa green-power-to-hydrogen project—the largest of its kind nationwide—as well as the rapid advancement of projects such as the Hot Fire Cloud lead-zinc mine in Hotan and the Dahongliutan rare-metal mine, Xinjiang’s energy resource production has significantly increased, and its resource security level has continued to improve. According to statistics, in 2023, Xinjiang’s crude oil production rose by 1.6%, and natural gas production grew by 2.5%; for three consecutive years, its oil-and-gas equivalent output has remained firmly at the top nationwide. New coal production capacity reached 62.57 million tons, with raw coal output totaling 457 million tons, up 10.7%. The volume of coal transported out of Xinjiang exceeded 100 million tons, representing a growth of 26.7%. Additionally, new installed capacity for renewable energy reached 22.61 million kilowatts, placing Xinjiang among the top provinces nationwide in terms of incremental growth; total installed renewable energy capacity now stands at 64.431 million kilowatts, accounting for 44.6% of the region’s total power generation capacity. Furthermore, industrial silicon and polysilicon production increased by 27.3% and 26.8%, respectively.
　　Meanwhile, Xinjiang has stepped up its efforts to grant exploration rights. In 2023, a total of 227 exploration rights were granted, accounting for 40.6% of the national total. Significant breakthroughs have been made in the exploration and development of mineral resources, resulting in the establishment of 12 large-scale resource bases for minerals such as iron, titanium, and lithium.
　　It is understood that, in order to fully implement the new round of strategic actions for mineral exploration breakthroughs and promote increased reserves and production, Xinjiang has formulated and issued the "14th Five-Year Plan Implementation Scheme for Strategic Mineral Exploration in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region," which clearly identifies 45 key survey areas, 64 key exploration areas, and 75 important mines across the region. Addressing the critical questions of "what minerals to look for," "where to look for them," and "how to look for them," the plan adheres to innovation-driven approaches and technology empowerment, introducing innovative working methods to better leverage the strategic supporting and leading role of science and technology in achieving breakthroughs in mineral exploration. The plan places particular emphasis on enhancing exploration efforts, especially detailed exploration, to more effectively advance the implementation of the new round of strategic mineral exploration initiatives.