Copper exploration prospects in China

Based on the research of copper exploration progress in past 60 years in China, the authors analyzed the internal relation between copper exploration success and the space and density of copper exploration. Statistics indicate that the relation between the deposits scale and exploration extent is positive correlation. The drilling amount for proving up a large-scale copper deposit is (12.5~16)×104m, and the drilling amount for proving up a medium-scale copper deposit is at least (4.8~5.48)×104m. In the vast central and western China, the copper exploration extent is relatively low, and the proven copper deposit amount and reserve account on only 17% and 34%, so the exploration potential is huge. The paper firstly selected some low extent and high potential areas as the metallogenic belts, and targeted some prospective areas in these regions by using discovered deposits and occurrences and geochemical abnormities. Compared with the characteristics and parameters of some high extent areas, the total reserve of copper in low extent areas in western China is estimated to be 5591~13660)×104t, and the amount of large-scale copper deposits is 30~70. These prospective areas mainly distributed in some famous metallogenic belts, such as Gandise, Bangong Lake, southwestern Three-River areas, eastern Tianshan Mountains, Greater Khingan Mountains, and some deep and peripheral parts in central and eastern China.