Tibet Mineral Development Company Limited, known as Tibet Mining ( zh, 西藏矿业, ), is a partly

state-owned enterprise A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a business entity created or owned by a national or local government, either through an executive order or legislation. SOEs aim to generate profit for the government, prevent private sector monopolies, provide goo ...

engaged in the exploration, mining, processing, and sales of non-ferrous mineral resources in the

Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), often shortened to Tibet in English or Xizang in Pinyin, Hanyu Pinyin, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China. It was established in 1965 to replace the ...

. The company focuses on

chromium Chromium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6 element, group 6. It is a steely-grey, Luster (mineralogy), lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal. Chromium ...

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

, and increasingly

lithium Lithium (from , , ) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard temperature and pressure, standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the ...

resources. It operates under the control of China Baowu Iron & Steel Group, one of the largest state-owned steel companies in China.

History

The company originated with the creation of the Dongfeng Mine ( zh, 东风矿) in 1967, a state-owned operation established under the direction of the central government. In 1984, with approval from the Ministry of Metallurgy and the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Dongfeng Mine team was relocated to Lobusha Township, Qusum County in

Shannan, Tibet ShannanThe official spelling according to ( zh, c=山南, p=Shānnán, l=south of the mountains), also known as Lhoka (; zh, c=洛卡, p=Luò kǎ), is a prefecture-level city in the southeastern Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Shannan includes ...

, where they initiated mining operations at the Lobusha Mine. The company was restructured as Tibet Mineral Development in early 1997, bringing together various mineral-related assets in the region. On July 8, 1997, it was listed on the

Shenzhen Stock Exchange The Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE; ) is a stock exchange based in the city of Shenzhen, in the People's Republic of China. It is one of three stock exchanges operating independently in Mainland China, the others being the Beijing Stock Excha ...

. On June 4, 2020,

China Baowu Steel Group China Baowu Steel Group Corp., Ltd., commonly known as Baowu, is a state-owned iron and steel company headquartered in the Baosteel Tower in Pudong, Shanghai, China. The company was formed by Baosteel Group absorbing its smaller state-owned p ...

acquired Tibet Mining Assets Management Co., Ltd., making it the largest shareholder. The TAR

SASAC The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) is a special commission of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. It was founded in 2003 through the consolidation of various other indus ...

became the secondary major shareholder.

Mining Operations

Lobusha Chromite Mine

The Lobusha Mine (洛布夏铬铁矿) in Qusum County, Shannan, is Tibet Mining’s flagship operation. It produces high-grade chromite ore, which is processed into ferrochrome alloy and chrome salt products. It has been in operation since the 1980s and continues to be one of the most significant chromite deposits in Tibet.

Zabuye Salt Lake Lithium Project

In 2021, Tibet Mining initiated Phase II of the Zabuye Salt Lake development project, aiming to construct a 10,000-ton battery-grade lithium carbonate plant. The RMB 2 billion project aims to capitalize on China's surging demand for lithium used in electric vehicle batteries. The Zabuye Salt Lake is located in the western region of Tibet and is considered one of China’s highest-grade lithium brine deposits. The lithium carbonate produced here is expected to supply China’s growing battery materials industry.

Copper Exploration

Tibet Mining also engages in copper exploration and development activities, primarily within the southern regions of Tibet. While less developed than its chromium and lithium operations, copper remains a strategic resource in the company’s portfolio and is expected to expand in the coming years.

References

External links

* {{authority control Companies listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange Companies based in Tibet Baowu Metal companies of China 2020 mergers and acquisitions Companies established in 1967 1997 initial public offerings 1967 establishments in China Manufacturing companies of China Industry in Tibet Government-owned companies of China