Gejiu Tin Deposit

The Gejiu deposit is located within the area of Gejiu city (Yunnan province), 2140 km2 in area, with tin taken as the dominant metal, and copper, tungsten, bismuth, lead, silver and other polymetals accompanied. A North-south-trending fracture divides the deposit area into two parts: eastern and western.

The former one has five large tin fields, i.e. Malage, Songshujiao, Gaosong, Laochang and Kafang, while the latter possesses the Niushipo large placer tin deposit, and the Douyan, Zhuqingpo and tens of medium-small sized tin and lead deposits (occurrences).

The Gejiu area has a long tin mining history. According to the historical records it produced tin as early as in the Han Dynasty. Both domestic and foreign geologists had carried out a great deal of geological investigations before New China was founded.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China a systematic geologic exploration has been conducted over Songshujiao, Laochang, and Kafang tin fields, resulting in identifying substantial explored metal reserves:1.82 million tons of tin, 1.52 million tons of copper, 3.08 million tons of lead, 0.53 million tons of zinc, 0.14 million tons of tungsten and 2,400 tons of silver. Gejiu has become a tin capital in the real sense of the term.