By: Zawya

China Geological Survey has completed 4,600 geochemical maps that highlight promising mining areas, valued at $260 million, in Saudi Arabia’s mineral exploration, according to a news report.

The geoscience project, secured five years ago, has seen substantial progress in geochemical exploration, geological mapping, and database model design, China Daily reported.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia’s first digital core repository has been established, and 75 geological maps at a 1:100,000 scale have been completed, revealing new mineralisation points.

The results were released during the 4th Belt and Road International Geophysical Conference held in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, China, this week.

This month, Saudi Geological Survey CEO Abdullah Al-Shamran said that they are currently working on building a 3D visualisation to map the kingdom’s subsurface resources and hazards.

“The work is ongoing in phases, and we are expected to complete it by 2030,” he told Al Eqtisadiah, an Arabic daily.