Overview of characteristics and comprehensive evaluation points of associated mineral resources in China

China has abundant associated mineral resources with considerable utilization value. With the rapid development of strategic emerging industries, especially the new energy industry, the supporting role and important position of associated minerals in ensuring national resource security supply are becoming increasingly prominent. From the perspective of the comprehensive development and utilization of associated mineral resources in China, many single mineral deposits discovered during mineral exploration can account for 60% to 70% of the phenomenon of one mineral becoming multiple minerals after comprehensive exploration, comprehensive evaluation, comprehensive development, and comprehensive utilization. Therefore, it is necessary to attach great importance to and carefully grasp the requirements and key points of comprehensive exploration and evaluation of associated minerals, scientifically define main minerals, symbiotic minerals, and co-associated minerals, clarify the work tasks of comprehensive exploration and evaluation at different stages, reasonably determine the comprehensive industrial indicators of symbiotic minerals and the evaluation indicators of co-associated minerals, and carefully grasp the requirements for estimating resource reserves and determining resource types.