Recently, the research team of the “Deep-Exploration Study on the Lizijin Gold Deposit in Tianshui, Gansu Province,” jointly led by the Yantai Coastal Zone Geological Survey Center of the China Geological Survey and research institutions including Guizhou University, made another significant discovery within the Tianzi Mountain pluton, following the exploration model of “ore control by near-E-W-trending structures.” The team has newly identified two alteration zones trending nearly east-west and dipping northward, which hold great promise for providing crucial support to the development of the Lizijin gold deposit as a major gold resource base.

The West Qinling Metallogenic Belt, as a key region in China rich in mineral resources, has so far identified 17 large- and extra-large gold deposits, with proven gold reserves reaching as much as 1,076 tons—making it China’s second-largest base for gold exploration and development. The Lizizi Gold Mine in Gansu Province is located within this metallogenic belt. After more than 20 years of mining, the mine has discovered over a hundred ore bodies and currently produces about one ton of gold annually. In recent years, as mining activities continue to advance, the Lizizi Gold Mine has faced the challenge of insufficient production capacity, making it imperative to address the shortage of resource reserves.

Although the Lizizi gold deposit boasts favorable ore-forming conditions, its geological setting is complex, with ore veins characterized by multiplicity, disorder, and dispersion. The ore types are diverse, confirming the prevailing understanding that the deposit is primarily hosted in quartz veins, supplemented by altered-rock-type gold deposits. In 2024, the Yantai Center, in collaboration with Guizhou University and other research institutions, successfully obtained approval for the China Gold Group’s scientific research project titled “Deep-Exploration Study of the Lizizi Gold Deposit in Tianshui, Gansu Province.” Relying on their specialized expertise and extensive experience, the project team meticulously divided the disordered and scattered ore veins into five distinct mineral belts. They innovatively proposed a comprehensive exploration strategy centered on the goal of discovering ultra-large gold deposits, with a primary focus on large-scale tectonically altered rock-type gold deposits while also taking into account quartz-vein-type gold deposits, and systematically planned exploration activities accordingly. The team established a “near-east-west trending structural control model” for ore deposition and precisely delineated six prospective exploration targets. Furthermore, they successfully drilled a 2,399.85-meter-long scientific deep borehole, which yielded excellent mineralization results and achieved the intended objectives, thereby laying a solid foundation for guiding future geological exploration efforts.

Recently, the team made another significant discovery in the Tianzi Mountain pluton: two newly identified alteration zones—veins 26 and 27—with trends nearly east-west and dips toward the north. These alteration zones are filled with silicified altered rocks, sericitic quartzites, pyrite-sericitic quartzites, silicified breccias, and diorite porphyrites. Pyrite is unevenly distributed within the alteration zones in the form of disseminated grains, fine veins, and lump-like aggregates. This discovery not only highlights the enormous mineral exploration potential but also provides new strong evidence for the ore-controlling model established by the team.