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China Iron Ore
China had iron-ore reserves, totalling approximately 44 billion
tons, in 1980. However, in the mid-1980s, China relied on imports
because of domestic transportation and production problems. Sizable
iron ore beds are distributed widely in about two-thirds of China's
provinces and autonomous regions
(see fig. __, Fuels, Power,
Minerals and Metals, 1983). The largest quantities are found in
Liaoning Province, followed by Sichuan, Hebei, Shanxi, Anhui,
Hubei, Gansu, Shandong, and Yunnan provinces and the Nei Monggol
Autonomous Region.
In the mid-1980s, mines lacked modern excavating,
transportation, and ore-beneficiation equipment. Most of the ore
mined had a low iron content and required substantial refining or
beneficiation before use in blast furnaces. Most mines lacked
modern plants for converting low-grade iron ore into concentrated
pellets.
Data as of July 1987
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