Geology and Nonfuel Mineral Deposits of Asia and the Pacific - USGS

Manganese
Manganese deposits in the region mainly are associated with sedimentary and volcanic
rocks and are composed of large concentrations of manganese oxide and carbonate minerals. China
is the largest single producer of manganese in the world, followed by India, which contains
Proterozoic deposits in the Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, and Bihar-Orissa areas. Manganese is
derived from volcanic rocks in Mongolia and vein manganese, associated with zinc and lead, is
present in veins in Japan (table 2, fig. 4B).
Perlite and pyrophyllite
In China, Cretaceous volcanic rocks host the large Xinyang perlite deposit and South Korea
contains hydrothermal-derived pyrophyllite deposits at Wando (fig. 4C, table 2).
Silica sand
Silica sand deposits at Cape Flattery, Australia, Puqian, China, and Parengarenga (fig. 4C),
New Zealand are related to Cenozoic weathering; commonly of well-sorted beach sand.
Other industrial mineral deposits
The Asia and Pacific region contains a number of other industrial mineral deposits, such as
deposits containing tantalum, vanadium, wollastonite, zirconium, and zeolites (table 2, fig. 4C).
Many of these commodities are present in deposits as bi-products, but some, such as the Paleozoic
Tsagaantsav zeolite deposit, Mongolia occur separately. Deposits of building stone are abundant in
many countries, such as the extensive dolomite deposits of Bhutan, limestone deposits of New
Zealand, and numerous deposits in India and China.
Regional exploration history and significant recent discoveries
Substantial exploration has been conducted in the Asia and Pacific region by governments
and by domestic and international mining and exploration companies for metalliferous deposits of
gold, platinum, copper, lead-zinc, and molybdenum, as well as for many industrial minerals. The
current and potential mineral endowment of the Asia and Pacific region is significant for these and
other commodities, because known deposits are leading to new discoveries, and additional
exploration in remote or concealed areas will develop known and new mineral deposit types.
Because the region contains significant concentrations of deposits of metals and industrial minerals,
exploration for, and discovery and development of new deposits, has been and should remain
successful.
The main exploration activity is in Australia; the islands of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea,
the Philippines; the Mekong Delta countries; and China, India, and Mongolia. Mining and
exploration in Japan and South Korea has slowed considerably because known major deposits
(table 2) are becoming mined out and major reserves or resources are closed because of
unfavorable economic or environmental conditions. Afghanistan contains known resources,
exploited for local use, but has been under explored for many decades because of war and internal
strife.
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