Fundamental geological survey was carried out steadily and its services were increasingly extended and deepened. We completed 413,200 km2 of 1:250,000 regional geological survey and 235,200 km2 of amendment of past surveys; 161,000 km2 of 1:1,000,000 regional gravity survey and 62,000 km2 of 1:200,000 regional gravity survey; 9,400 km2 of 1:200,000 regional geochemical survey; 20,400 km2 of 1:50,000 remote sensing survey; 1,800 km of multichannel marine geological seismic survey and 16,000 km of gravity survey, 11,000 km of multi-beam survey and 624,000 km of high-precision aeromagnetic survey. In addition, 289,100 km2 of 1:250,000 multipurpose geochemical survey were completed, resulting in delineation of a group of anomalous areas that may seriously influence the ecological environment and identification of the abundances of nutrient elements in soil in some areas. Pilot and demonstration work for urban geological survey was started in 3 cities.

We also completed 536,900 km2 of 1:10,000 land resources monitoring, 537,000 km2 of 1:10,000 land resources survey, 395,200 km2 of 1:10,000 land resources evaluation and 38,600 km2 of 1:10,000 land market survey.

According to monitoring at fixed locations and fixed time in 51 key cities, China’s composite urban land price rose by 6.08% compared with the same period of the previous year, of which the land price for commercial purpose rose by 6.67%, that for residential purpose rose by 8.94% and that for industrial purpose rose by 1.92%. The rising percentages of urban land prices of key regions or cities were: 6.90% in the Yangtze River Delta, 1.84% in the Pearl River Delta and 5.76% in Beijing and Tianjin. Urban land prices in relatively developed areas remained comparatively flat, while those in some western cities rose considerably. Urban land prices in Chengdu, Guiyang, Xi’an and Hohhot rose 13.51%, 13.73%, 14.76% and 13.17%, respectively.

Further progress was made in the survey and evaluation of marine oil and gas and new energy resources. According to the survey and evaluation of oil and gas resources in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Qiangtang Basin was believed to be a new strategic area where there is the greatest oil potential in marine strata in China. In the sea areas of the South China Sea, large-scale carbonate rocks formed by outpouring of a “cold spring” —— direct evidence showing the presence of gas hydrate——were found for the first time, which are distributed in an area of 430 km2.

A series of significant successes were made in the survey and evaluation of copper resources. The Zhunuo, Jiru and other copper deposits were discovered in the Yarlung Zangbo metallogenic province. A new copper mineralized zone was discovered in the Kalatage area of Hami in the eastern Tianshan metallogenic belt, Xinjiang, where drilling proved a 203 m thick copper-gold orebody. Drilling checks in the Pulang porphyry copper deposit, Yunnan Province, continued to encounter thick and rich porphyry copper orebodies. A reworked volcanic sedimentary copper deposit with great ore potential was discovered in Youfanggou, Huili-Huidong area, Panxi.

Remarkable successes were made in survey and evaluation of competitive mineral resources such as Pb-Zn polymetallic ores and W and Sn ores. A number of Pb-Zn-Ag deposits (e.g. Eastern Mozhazhua) with large and medium ore potentials were discovered in Qinghai Province. A large-sized stratabound Pd-Zn deposit was found for the first time in the Wudang-Shennongjia area, Hubei. A W-Sn mineralized zone with large and superlarge ore potential was discovered in Altyn Tagh area, Xinjiang. An altered rock-skarn composite W-Sn deposit was discovered in Guposhan area, and a greisen-hosting W-Sn deposit was found in the Jiuyishan area, Hunan Province. Three tungsten occurrences with large ore potential were discovered in southern Jiangxi Province.

Significant successes were made in groundwater exploration in areas where water is seriously deficient in the western region of China. In the water search project in red-bed areas in Sichuan Province, demonstration work for groundwater survey and exploitation in 36 counties (townships and districts) was completed, and more than 50,000 water wells were drilled, providing sources of drinking water for more than 200,000 people. The successful drilling of demonstration water wells in Lhazê County of Tibet and Sunan County of Gansu Province where water is seriously deficient solved the drinking problem of the local people. Demonstration work both for regional groundwater exploration in karst mountain areas and for preventing karst areas from becoming stony deserts was pushed forward further in Southeast China. In Yunnan, Guizhou, Guanxi and Hunan, development of demonstration underground rivers solved the drinking problem of 40,000 people.

1:500,000 national environmental geological surveys were entirely completed, and the development, distribution and harm extents of China’s geological hazards of various types were identified preliminarily.

The survey and evaluation of geofractures and ground subsidence were carried out in those hazard-prone areas. A monitoring network of ground subsidence was established preliminarily in the Yangtze River Delta. Geological hazard survey at the county (township) level was carried out, and a total of 5,050 major places with hidden dangerous geological hazards were delineated.