Oil, gas and mineral exploration sees double-digit growth

China's investment into the exploration of oil, gas and mineral resources saw double-digit growth last year, leading to the discovery of 132 new mineral deposits, said a report on Thursday.

The report, released by the Ministry of Natural Resources, said China's efforts to advance a new round of mineral exploration strategies have yielded significant results, further enhancing the country's resource security capabilities.

According to the report, by the end of 2022, a total of 173 kinds of minerals have been discovered in China, including 13 kinds of energy minerals, 59 kinds of metallic minerals, 95 kinds of nonmetallic minerals, and six kinds of water and gases.

The report was released during the 25th China Mining Conference and Exhibition, which opened on Thursday in Tianjin.