World's largest gold deposit discovered in China

A team of geologists has discovered one of the world's largest gold deposits in China, located in the Wangu gold field in Hunan province, with an estimate of over 1,000 tonnes of gold.

The deposit was identified by Chinese geological experts after advanced studies and three-dimensional modeling.

In total, more than 40 gold veins were confirmed at depths between 2,000 and 3,000 meters underground.

This discovery exceeds the capacity of other historical mines such as South Deep in South Africa, placing China at the top of the world in gold reserves.

But what is most striking is not only the quantity, but also the quality. While many mines exploit deposits containing between 1 and 8 grams of gold per ton of rock extracted, at Wangu, concentrations of up to 138 grams per ton were found. This extraordinary proportion is difficult to find even in the oldest deposits in Australia or Canada.

This combination of volume and purity has led experts to classify this discovery as a "supergiant," an unusual term that has only been applied to a few mineral formations worldwide. In fact, some specialists already consider it one of the most significant geological discoveries in recent decades.

Indeed, this discovery could disrupt the global gold market by increasing Chinese production and reserves.

While China already led the world in gold production with 370 tonnes extracted in 2023, this discovery further strengthens its position against countries like Australia, Russia, and Canada.

(MH with FM - Source : Esquire - Photo : ©Unsplash)