First, the significance of formulating the sustainable development strategy of mineral exploration
1. is the need to realize the coordinated development of resources and environment, population, society and economy.
To implement the strategy of sustainable development is to consider both the needs of current development and future development, and not to meet the interests of contemporary people at the expense of the interests of future generations. We should not only achieve the goal of developing economy, but also protect the natural resources and environment on which human beings depend, so that our future generations can develop sustainably and live and work in peace and contentment. In the final analysis, the strategy of sustainable development is a strategy to coordinate the development of economy, society, resources and environment. The highest goal it pursues is the harmony between man and nature. Its core is that healthy economic development should be based on the long-term sustainable supply capacity of natural resources and the long-term bearing capacity of ecological environment under the condition that society and people actively participate in their own development decisions. In terms of development indicators, it is measured by social, economic, cultural, environmental and living indicators. This development organically unifies the immediate interests and long-term interests, local interests and overall interests, and makes the economy develop along a healthy track. And healthy economic development must fully consider the long-term supply capacity of natural resources. In other words, development is supported by natural resources and cannot be at the expense of destroying resources, environment and ecology. In other words, modern development should maintain enough stamina to create conditions for further development. In particular, mineral resources are non-renewable and exhausted natural resources, so we must implement the sustainable development strategy of mineral exploration, rationally develop and utilize them, and maintain the sustainable development of mineral exploration.
2. It is the need to complete the "three-step" development strategic goal of China's socialist modernization.
The strategic deployment of China's economic construction is divided into three steps. The first step, from 198 1 to 1990, is to solve the problem of food and clothing in the whole country and double the ratio of gross national product to 1980. This goal has been achieved ahead of schedule. The second step, from 199 1 to 2000, the gross national product will be doubled again, and the people's life will reach a well-off level, with a per capita income of 800 ~ 1000 US dollars. This goal has also been achieved. Third, from 2000 to the middle of the 20th century (2050), the per capita GNP reached the level of moderately developed countries in the world, the people's life reached a well-off level, and socialist modernization was basically realized. Then, on this basis, move on. In order to achieve this development goal, mineral exploration needs to provide corresponding mineral resources and geological data. In order to successfully complete this historical mission of mineral exploration, it is necessary to study and formulate a correct development strategy to ensure the demand for mineral resources for sustainable social and economic development.
3. It is the need to solve the contradiction between supply and demand of mineral resources and improve the adaptability of mineral exploration.
With the development of socialist modernization, the expansion of economic construction scale and the improvement of people's requirements for quality of life, the demand for mineral resources is increasing day by day, and the contradiction between supply and demand is becoming increasingly prominent. China has changed from an oil exporter to a net importer, and its import volume is increasing day by day; Rich iron ore, copper ore, platinum, diamond and other minerals have long been solved by importing from abroad due to geological conditions. According to the prediction of the former China Institute of Geology and Mineral Information, among the 45 main minerals in China, 22 minerals, such as oil, natural gas, iron, copper, manganese, gold, silver, chromite, diamond and potassium salt, can't meet the demand of China's economic construction for mineral resources in 20 10, and mineral exploration faces a series of challenges and tests, forcing us to think and choose various major issues. Especially in the current situation of many contradictions and difficulties, it is even more necessary to have a correct development strategy as a guide.
4. This is the need of the healthy development of mineral exploration.
Mineral exploration is a huge and complex systematic project, which is a whole composed of multi-levels, multi-stages, multi-types of work and multi-methods. It involves not only the relationship between prospectors as the subject and minerals as the object, that is, the relationship between people and land, but also the relationship between prospectors. Because mineral exploration is a task that needs a large group to complete. At the same time, the completion of mineral exploration needs the help of various technical equipment. Then, there is the relationship between people and things. For such a complex system engineering, it is impossible to make all kinds of work, means and methods develop in a coordinated, stable and healthy way if we do not understand their interrelationships, restrictive factors and internal laws, objective geological laws and macro-geological work laws, mineral exploration development strategies formulated according to objective laws, and scientific planning and correct guidance of the overall situation of mineral exploration. Only by studying and formulating the correct development strategy can we make correct arrangements and guidance for the exploration work at all levels and stages, so that the mineral exploration work in various places can develop healthily, and then promote the healthy development of the whole mineral exploration work. That is to say, in the development process of mineral exploration, whether its function of serving the society is expanding or decreasing, and whether it plays a positive or negative role in the development of social productive forces, these problems that affect the success or failure of mineral exploration are closely related to the correctness of the development strategy of mineral exploration. Different strategies have different results. The correct strategy can lead to the prosperity of mineral exploration, and the wrong strategy may lead to the decline of mineral exploration. Therefore, in order to make mineral exploration develop healthily, we must formulate corresponding mineral exploration strategy and action program, that is, implement the sustainable development strategy of mineral exploration. On the premise of sustainable supply, rational utilization, effective protection and reduction of environmental costs of mineral resources, the economic benefits, resource benefits, environmental benefits and social benefits of mineral resources development will be fully met, so as to make mineral exploration develop healthily.
5. It is the need to realize the intergenerational fair and reasonable distribution of mineral resources.
The strategy of sustainable development should not only consider the common interests of contemporary people, but also pay attention to the long-term interests of future generations. It emphasizes that opportunities between generations are equal. The legal rights of mineral resources enjoyed by contemporary people, that is, the right to rational use of resources in development, are also enjoyed by future generations. Contemporary people can't and have no right to blindly pursue their own development and consumption, squander limited mineral resources, and can't deprive future generations of the opportunities and rights they should enjoy in development and consumption. Therefore, mineral exploration is required to "save, protect and renew resources" and take it as a cross-century code of conduct for mineral exploration to handle the relationship between development in protection and protection in development. The depletion of non-renewable resources should be compensated. The resource consumption of each generation must follow the principle of "high efficiency and economy"; The population growth of each generation must adapt to the expansion of the resource base. Establish a global resource protection system and consumption system to realize the sustainable development strategy of mineral exploration.
Second, the main basis for formulating the sustainable development strategy of mineral exploration
1. We should proceed from the basic national conditions of China, based on the Party's basic line and the "three-step" strategy of national development.
China is a big country with a vast territory, rich resources and a long history. It is also a poor country with a weak foundation, less arable land, a large population and insufficient per capita resources. It belongs to developing countries economically. After the founding of New China, although the socialist system took root in Chinese mainland and showed its superiority initially, it was still immature and imperfect. There are still some aspects and links in production relations and superstructure that are not adapted to the development of productive forces and are in the primary stage of socialism. The main contradiction at this stage is the contradiction between the people's growing material and cultural needs and the backward social productive forces. This contradiction determines that China's long-term fundamental task is to develop productive forces. One of the important elements of productivity is the means of production, and mineral resources are an important part of it. In order to accomplish this task, our party has formulated the basic line of the primary stage of socialism from the specific national conditions. Namely: "lead and unite the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country, take economic construction as the center, adhere to the four cardinal principles, persist in reform and opening up, work hard through self-reliance, and strive to build China into a prosperous, strong, democratic and civilized socialist modern country." The core of the Party's basic line is "one center and two basic points". "two basic points": one is the foundation of the country and the other is the road to a strong country. Both of them are required by "one center", China's economic development and an indispensable social form for China's production development. This is not only the requirement that productivity determines relations of production and economic base determines superstructure, but also the requirement that superstructure and relations of production react. China's specific national conditions and the Party's basic line are the basis for us to do all the work well. Therefore, to formulate the sustainable development strategy of mineral exploration, we must proceed from the national conditions of China and take the basic line of the Party as the basis.
2. Adapt to the national economic development strategy.
Since 1989, China has experienced two historic turning points, namely, the transformation of economic system mode and economic development strategy. In terms of system, the transition from highly centralized planned economy system to socialist market economy system, and the transition of economic development from traditional development strategy to sustainable development strategy. This change is mainly manifested in the following aspects:
First, from speed, extension and extensive management to efficiency, connotation and intensive management. On the basis of increasing unit resource consumption and environmental cost, the greatest social and economic benefits can be obtained. Therefore, we must establish a national resource-intensive social production system, social consumption system, social economic system and social population system.
Second, from pursuing the advanced development of heavy industry and military industry to the sustained, stable and coordinated development of agriculture, light industry and heavy industry driven by science and technology. China is a country rich in resources, with all kinds of resources, but it is also a country with relatively poor per capita resources. We must rely on the strength of science and technology to strengthen the exploration of mineral resources, increase the supply of resources, update and develop new technologies in mining, mineral processing and smelting, and implement the policy of comprehensive development and comprehensive utilization, so as to make agriculture, light industry and heavy industry develop continuously, stably and harmoniously.
Third, from a closed and divided market to a unified market that is open to the outside world. With the globalization of the world economy and the continuous expansion of the international resource market, it is impossible for any country to rely entirely on its own resources to develop its economy, but it must be open to the international market. This is the necessity of social and economic development. With the growth of China's economic strength in the reform and opening up, China's resource strategy will be to make full use of the two major markets at home and abroad, join the international economic cycle, and rely on the international market to realize the optimal allocation of resources.
Fourth, from high accumulation and low consumption to both. Clarify the rights and obligations of the government, enterprises and individuals in the ownership of natural resources and the right to develop and operate; Establish a natural resource management system that combines basic market mechanism with government macro-control; In order to effectively protect and rationally develop and utilize mineral resources, prevent the waste and destruction of resources, ensure the optimal allocation and comprehensive utilization of resources according to law, and maintain the dynamic balance of resources, the Mineral Resources Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) was promulgated.
The formulation of mineral exploration strategy should be adapted to the national economic development strategy. The implementation of sustainable development strategy in China economy determines that mineral exploration must also implement sustainable development strategy.
3. The sustainable development strategy of mineral exploration in China should be restricted by mineral conditions.
(1) The basic situation of China's mineral resources is that the total amount is rich, the per capita is insufficient, and the supply and demand situation of mineral resources is grim. Specific performance in:
First, China is rich in mineral resources. Up to now, minerals have been discovered 17 1 and proven reserves 156, of which 45 minerals account for 9.8% of the potential value. In terms of ranking, China's mineral potential resources rank third in the world, but the per capita mineral possession is only 58% of the world's per capita mineral possession, ranking 53 rd in the world. Among the 45 major minerals, 27 minerals in China are below the world average.
Second, there is still a big gap between China's per capita consumption of mineral products and the world's per capita level. If China's national economy is to reach the level of moderately developed countries, there is a big gap between the per capita consumption demand of mineral products. As can be seen from Table 7- 1:
Table 7- 1 Comparison table of per capita consumption of mineral products between China and major countries in the world (1992)
Note: According to Zhu Xun's On the Situation and Tasks of Geoscience Philosophy, China Literature and History Publishing House, June 1998.
Third, the consumption of mineral resources in China is growing rapidly, while the growth rate of proven reserves is slow. From 1986 to 1996, the statistics of mineral shortage are shown in table 7-2.
Table 7-2 Comparison Table of Consumption Growth Rate and Reserve Growth Rate of Mineral Resources in China
Note: According to Chen Yuchuan's Mineral Resources, Energy, Land Resources and Sustainable Development, seismological press, September 2000.
Fourthly, according to the relevant research results, the resource guarantee degree of 45 main minerals in China for the three stages of 2000, 20 10 and 2020 is as follows: 30 minerals can meet the needs by 2000; By 20 10, there are 23 kinds of minerals that can meet the demand; By 2020, only five kinds of minerals can meet the needs of national economic construction and development. See Table 7-3 for details.
Table 7-3 Guarantee Degree of Main Minerals in China for National Economic Construction and Development in 2000-2020
Note: According to Chen Yuchuan's Mineral Resources, Energy, Land Resources and Sustainable Development, seismological press, September 2000.
China's imports of major products have increased year by year, consuming a lot of foreign exchange (Table 7-4).
Table 7-4 Foreign Exchange Consumption Table of Imported Mineral Products in China +0986 ~ 1996
Note: According to Chen Yuchuan's Mineral Resources, Energy, Land Resources and Sustainable Development, seismological press, September 2000.
It can be seen that China's basic mineral conditions are abundant in quantity and insufficient in per capita. In other words, it is a big resource country, but everyone is a small resource country. China's per capita mineral resources are110 of the United States and17 of the former Soviet Union. It can be seen that China is a small resource country in terms of meeting the population's demand for sources of production and livelihood.
(2) Most pillar mineral resources in China are short of proven reserves, and many major minerals are poor and difficult to select. The scale of a single deposit is small, and there are not many dominant minerals. There are advantages and disadvantages, as follows:
First, some of the proven mineral reserves in China are relatively rich, while others are obviously insufficient. According to the data, there are 153 kinds of mineral resources with proven reserves in China, including 7 kinds of energy minerals, 54 kinds of ferrous metals, nonferrous metals, rare metals, rare earth metals and precious metals, 89 kinds of non-metallic minerals and 3 kinds of water and gas minerals. It is one of the few countries with relatively complete mineral resources in the world, which provides a material basis for the country to establish an independent and complete industrial system. Among them, coal, tungsten, antimony, vanadium, titanium, rare earth, magnesite and fluorite occupy world advantages. However, some pillar minerals related to the national economy and people's livelihood, such as iron, manganese, aluminum, copper, sulfur, phosphorus, potassium and other minerals, are at a disadvantage because of poor resource conditions and few proven reserves, which cannot meet the needs of domestic economic construction.
Second, there are rich and poor minerals in China. Although the types of minerals are complete, the structure is not ideal and the quality varies greatly. The basic characteristics of large mines are that there are many poor mines and few rich mines. According to the analysis of existing data, 86% of China's iron ore reserves are poor, more than 50% of manganese ores are poor, 70% of copper ores are poor with copper content below 1%, less than 28% of bauxite ores with aluminum-silicon ratio greater than 7, and only 7% of the total reserves are phosphate rocks with phosphorus pentoxide content of 30%. There are also a number of rich mines in China, such as Shilu Iron Mine in Hainan and Daye Iron Mine in Hubei, all of which are rich in iron ore, and rare earth mines are also rich in iron ore.
Thirdly, there are both unit deposits and multi-element deposits in China. According to the complexity analysis of mineral assemblage and associated elements, there are many primary and comprehensive minerals in China, but few single minerals. According to the survey, 25% of iron ore, 40% of gold ore, 75% of silver ore, 80% of non-ferrous metal ore and coal mines in most areas all contain or are associated with other minerals. This function has both advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, it can bring more natural wealth; On the negative side, it brings many difficulties and problems to mining, mineral processing and metallurgy, which affects their development and utilization.
Fourthly, from the analysis of deposit scale, there are many small and medium-sized mines in China, but few large and super-large deposits. According to the classification statistics of current specifications, large-scale deposits account for 1 1.0 1% of the total solid minerals in China, medium-sized deposits account for 23.2 1%, and small-scale deposits account for 65.78%. The proportion of macrominerals in different types of minerals is also different. For example, the reserves of large iron ore only account for 5.2%, but the reserves account for 63% of the total reserves, and the reserves of large copper ore only account for 2.6%, but the reserves account for 58%.
Mineral resources in China are widely distributed, but unevenly distributed. For example, coal is concentrated in Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, accounting for 68% of the national reserves; Iron ore is concentrated in Liaoning, Hebei and Sichuan provinces, accounting for 63% of the national reserves; Copper mines are mainly concentrated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Sichuan, Yunnan and Zhongtiaoshan in Shanxi. Tungsten, tin and bismuth are mainly distributed in Nanling area; Bauxite is mainly concentrated in Shanxi, Henan, Guizhou and Guangxi, accounting for 82% of the total; Phosphate ore is concentrated in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Hubei provinces, accounting for 70% of the reserves. This distribution pattern makes the development and utilization of mineral resources seriously restricted by traffic conditions, and also brings great pressure to traffic and infrastructure construction.
(3) The development and utilization of mineral resources in China have been seriously damaged and wasted.
First, due to historical reasons, the technical level, management level and personnel quality of most mining enterprises in China are still lower than those in developed countries.
Second, the system of paid exploitation of mineral resources has not been fully established, which leads to a low level of development and utilization of mineral resources and serious damage and waste. According to statistics, the comprehensive utilization rate of associated mineral resources in China is less than 20%, and the total recovery rate of mineral resources is only 30%, while the average advanced level abroad is above 50%, with a difference of 30 and 20 percentage points respectively.
Third, the exploitation of mineral resources pollutes the mine and its surrounding environment, induces various geological disasters and destroys the ecological environment. According to statistics, the land directly destroyed and occupied by open-pit mining and all kinds of waste residue, waste rock and tailings in China has reached1.40,000 ~ 20,000 square kilometers, and it continues to increase at the rate of 200 square kilometers per year; The ground subsidence area caused by mining is 87,000 square kilometers; The discharge of mine wastewater accounts for more than 10% of the total industrial wastewater discharge in China. The total amount of waste residue discharged by mining and related industries is 5.8 billion tons, accounting for 89% of the national waste residue storage.
We should respect the objective laws of mineral exploration itself.
The process of mineral exploration is a process of understanding objective geology and ore bodies. Because many mineral resources and geological conditions are intangible on the surface, where there are mines and where there are no mines, although there are certain laws, it is not easy to master them. It is necessary to explore with the help of exploration instruments and equipment, and it takes several stages of general survey, detailed investigation and exploration to make the situation clear. It takes a long time to complete these stages. Therefore, long period is an important feature of mineral exploration. Since prospecting is a process of understanding objective ore bodies, it is of course governed by the law of understanding. Therefore, it is very important to seek truth from facts, step by step and coordinate development in mineral exploration. These factors must be considered when studying and formulating the development strategy of mineral exploration.
5. According to the actual manpower, material resources and financial resources, as well as the level of geological scientific research and technical conditions.
First, at present, China's mineral exploration team is strong, but its structure and quality need to be improved urgently.
The mineral exploration team in China is the largest and most powerful team in the world. However, there are problems in the structure and quality of the geological team, which need to be improved urgently. From the structural point of view, first, the proportion of technicians in the team composition is low. Second, the age structure of technicians is big at both ends and small in the middle. Third, the professional structure of technicians is not reasonable, and surplus and shortage coexist. In terms of team quality, first, the cultural quality is low. Only 0.8% of the professionals are technicians with graduate education, and those without education account for11%. Second, due to the separation of field work and indoor work, there are few high-level talents who are good at both field observation and indoor research; Third, technicians have low foreign language level and narrow knowledge; Fourth, there are few top talents, especially middle-aged academic leaders. This will have a great impact on the development of geological science and the improvement of exploration level.
Table 7-5 Table of Geological Prospecting Personnel of Various Departments in China
Note: According to Zhu Xun's Introduction to Prospecting Philosophy, Geological Publishing House, 2nd Edition, 1988.
Second, exploration technology and equipment are complete, but the degree of modernization is not high. With the rapid development of mineral exploration, China's geological machinery and instrument industry has been growing, providing a large number of equipment and instruments for geological exploration. Especially after the reform and opening up, the geological prospecting industry introduced a large number of advanced equipment and instruments from abroad, which accelerated the upgrading of geological prospecting equipment. However, on the whole, the problem of aging of technical equipment is prominent, the coefficient of equipment renewal is low (about 0.54), and the degree of modernization of bulk equipment is not high. Therefore, it is an urgent task to redouble our efforts to improve the modernization level of technical equipment.
Table 7-6 National Geological Exploration Industry Equipment
Note: According to Zhu Xun's Introduction to Prospecting Philosophy, Geological Publishing House, 2nd Edition, 1988.
Third, great achievements have been made in geological theory and exploration technology, but the overall situation is still relatively backward. China geological circles have made great achievements in theoretical and technical research. In terms of theoretical research, the research on metallogenic theory and geotectonic theory related to the formation, distribution and exploration of minerals has made the most outstanding achievements. These theories have played a positive role in guiding prospecting. In particular, the theory of continental oil generation and the argument that the Neocathaysian structure in eastern China controls the distribution of oil-bearing basins are of great significance for China to achieve a major breakthrough in oil and gas exploration and get rid of the "poor oil" hat in one fell swoop. The exploration technology has made a series of great achievements, which not only reached the international level in some fields, but even took a leading position, and played a positive role in promoting a series of major breakthroughs in mineral exploration. While seeing the achievements, on the whole, China is still in a relatively backward state. Mainly manifested in: First, although a few fields are relatively advanced, most of them are still in the state of introducing new concepts, new methods and new instruments and following others; Second, in recent 10 years, the research on metallogenic theory has not made great progress, and the gap with the international advanced level has further widened.
Fourth, the investment in mineral exploration has increased year by year, but the contradiction between supply and demand of funds is still very prominent. By 1990, the state has invested 55.5 billion yuan in mineral exploration. 10 years, despite the substantial increase in state expenditure and financial difficulties, the geological exploration fee has increased at an average annual rate of 8%, which has strongly supported the development of geological exploration, provided a large number of mineral resources for economic development and people's lives, and ensured the needs of national economic construction. However, since China's Seventh Five-Year Plan, the effective investment in geological prospecting fees has been declining year after year, which has seriously affected the development of geological work. On the one hand, the demand for mineral resources is increasing with the development of national economy, and the head fee is increasing, which further aggravates the contradiction between supply and demand of exploration funds. On the other hand, due to the increasingly prominent contradiction between supply and demand of exploration funds, the exploration workload that can be completed with limited geological exploration fees is gradually decreasing, and the proportion of geological exploration investment in China's national financial expenditure has dropped from 65438+3. 1% in 0990 to 1.3% in 2000. In addition, the commercial mineral exploration market has not yet formed. In 2000, the workload of solid mineral exploration and drilling was only 300,000 meters, accounting for 2% of 1975. Due to insufficient investment in exploration workload, the newly discovered mineral areas have been greatly reduced, further aggravating the contradiction between supply and demand of mineral resources.
Fifth, mineral exploration has made great achievements, but it still does not meet the needs of development. Since the founding of New China, mineral exploration has developed rapidly and made great achievements, basically meeting the needs of national economic construction. However, the supply and demand situation of mineral resources in China is mixed at present. First of all, from the gratifying aspect of mineral resources, first, great achievements have been made in geological exploration, which has prepared a certain resource base for national economic construction. Second, there is considerable potential for mineral resources in China, and there is a great prospect for prospecting in China. Third, the exploration and development of mineral resources has entered a new stage with laws to follow. All these have achieved good results in effective protection, rational development and utilization of mineral resources and reduction of resource waste and destruction. Secondly, the situation of mineral resources is worrying: First, the proven reserves are insufficient. Geological exploration must be strengthened, otherwise, after 2 1 century, there may be a phenomenon of "cooking without rice" or "cooking without rice" in China's modernization. Second, some old mines have insufficient replacement resources. At present, the production of a number of important mines in China has entered the middle and late stage, resources are gradually exhausted, and the production capacity disappears accordingly. Third, resources are wasted. These include waste in development and waste in industrial production. This has aggravated the increasingly severe resource situation. Mineral exploration urgently needs to implement the strategy of sustainable development.