A framework of the new scientific and technological innovation system of land and resources took shape preliminarily. Interim tasks were fulfilled in the reform of the science and technology system. The core force for the scientific and technological innovation of land and resources was incorporated into the national innovation system.

The Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Project successfully drilled to 5,000 m depth and obtained plentiful core samples, deep-seated microbial samples, logging data, deep detection data as well as analytical and experimental data. The project of the “Large-scale Metallogenesis and Evaluation of Large Deposit Concentration Areas” under the National “973” Program preliminarily established a new theory of Meso-Cenozoic metallogenesis in China. Techniques of gas hydrate detection and deep-water oil and gas exploration developed by projects under the National “863” Program were widely applied in survey of marine oil and gas resources, resulting in discovery of a number of important local oil and gas-bearing structures.

Research on oil and gas potential on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau showed that the Qiangtang Basin is a reserve oil and gas base with extremely great potential. The 3S-based up-to-date technique integration system for survey of land and resources, monitoring technique of geological hazards caused by landslide and digital regional survey technique were developed smoothly and entered a stage of application, which may provide services directly for geological survey, land management as well as prevention and mitigation of geological hazards.

The characteristics of the paleoclimatic change were determined by studying sections of stalactite, which opened up a new way for research on paleoclimate. Further progress was made in the study of the origin and evolution of early life on the Earth. Huaxiagnithus Orientalis was discovered in the Rehe biota in western Liaoning Province.

Five key laboratories at the ministerial level were set up formally, and 25 institutions were approved as the ministerial-level quality inspection centers in 2004. Four awards of the State Scientific and Technological Progress Prize and 69 awards of the Scientific and Technological Prize for Land and Resources were won. The “Program for Popularizing Science and Technology for Land and Resources” (2004－2010) was promulgated.

Interim progress was made in application for approval and filing of the “Golden Land Project”. Development and deployment of the main body of the foundation platform for e-government were completed. The national land and resources data center was in construction, and its infrastructure and management model in the environment of network took shape preliminarily. The portal of MLR was open formally. Construction of the trunk line of the land and resources network system was completed basically.