Large tungsten mine discovered in E China

NANCHANG - Geologists have discovered a large tungsten mine in East China's Jiangxi province, officials said Thursday.

More than 1 million tonnes of tungsten and associated copper have been found at the mine in the Zhuxi mineral area of Fuliang county in the northeast part of the province, said Peng Zezhou, chief of the provincial geology and mineral resources exploration bureau.

The Ministry of Land and Resources confirmed the discovery on Wednesday on its website.

A maximum depth of 449 meters of tungsten and 30 meters of associated copper in the mine has been penetrated, said Peng.

The reserve explored is in the same province as the world's largest tungsten mine, which was found in Wuning county, Jiujiang city, Jiangxi. It holds tungsten reserves totalling 1.06 million tonnes.

Geologists said they expect to find more tungsten at the newly-discovered mine, which could oust the mine in Wuning County as the world's largest.