BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- China has achieved significant breakthroughs in the exploration of three key minerals -- rare earths, fluorite, and barite -- in its southwestern Sichuan Province, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

At the Maoniuping mining area in Mianning County, a subsidiary of China Rare Earth Group Co., Ltd. has confirmed a newly identified rare earth oxide resource of 9.666 million tonnes.

Experts said the discovery is a major reinforcement of the country's strategic rare earth reserves, and an innovative model for deep and peripheral mineral exploration in geologically complex terrain.

In addition to the rare earth deposits, the same mining area also contains 27.135 million tonnes of fluorite and 37.228 million tonnes of barite, both classified as super-large-scale deposits.

Wang Denghong, the director of the Institute of Mineral Resources at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, underscored the significance of the discoveries of the two minerals.

"If rare earths are the 'vitamins of industry,' then fluorite and barite are the essential foundations and pillars of industry, irreplaceable and in constant demand," Wang said.

Fluorite is a critical raw material in modern industry, with widespread applications spanning aerospace, pharmaceuticals, electronics, machinery and nuclear energy.

Barite, meanwhile, finds its largest use in the oil and gas drilling industry and also plays important roles in chemicals, fillers and medical imaging. ■