HÀ NỘI — Forty gold mines were discovered in the northwest region with a total reserve of nearly 30 tonnes, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has announced.

This is part of the results of an eight-year investigation project on mineral resources to complete a geological map for the region, known as the Northwest Project, which serves as the foundation for the planning of its sustainable socio-economic development. 

The project has completed the geological and mineral map at the scale of 1:50,000, covering over 13,000sq.km in the region.

A key outcome is the discovery of 110 mineral deposits with 25 different types of minerals such as rare earths, tin, wolfram, gold, copper, antimony, marble, and industrial limestone.

Among these, there are 17 large-scale deposits, 43 medium-scale and 50 small-scale.

Notably, among the metallic deposits, there are 40 gold mines with a total identified resource of 29.8 tonnes, and five copper mines with a total identified resource of over 13,000 tonnes.

In one copper mine in Lào Cai Province, researchers also discovered copper-gold mineralisation, with a total identified resource of over 420 kilogramme of gold. 

The success of the project highlights the potential of the northwest region in contributing to the country's development. 

The geological and mineral sector will continue to provide technical support and transfer data to localities for effective resource extraction, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

It will also continue in-depth investigations into areas with hidden mineral resources, and conduct further surveys as directed by the ministry. — BIZHUB/VNS