3.10.2.1 Production   

Before the 1960s, China had been short of nickel. Although the Limahe nickel base in Sichuan was constructed in the 1950s and produced for the first time nickel matte in 1959, the annual productive capacity at that time was no more than 1,000 tons (nickel matte). By the 1960s when the Panshi nickel mine in Jilin, especially in 1963 when the Jinchuan nickel mine in Gansu, was constructed, the nickel supply-demand situation in China was conspicuously improved. After experiencing more than 40 years of hard work, China has developed into a big producer owning over 10 nickel mines, having the annual capacity of mining about 4.50 million tons of ores, and being able to produce each year 40,000 tons of electrolytic nickel, 25,000 tons of by-product electrolytic copper, 1,100 tons of electrolytic cobalt and ¡°cobalt salt" (cobalt content), and such precious metals as the platinum group, gold and silver.   

In 1995, China mined 2.9225 million tons of nickel ores, and produced 41,800 tons (nickel content) of nickel concentrates, 41,900 tons (nickel content) of nickel matte, 38,900 tons of nickel metal, and 1,335 tons of nickel products. In 1997, the country mined 3.50 million tons of nickel ores and produced 46,600 tons of nickel concentrates, 39,900 tons of nickel matte, 43,300 tons of nickel metal and 567 tons of nickel products.   

The world's total production of refined nickel in 1995 was 916,000 tons. In terms of its nickel production of the year 1995, China ranks 6th in the world, after Russia (201,900 tons), Japan (135,000 tons), Canada (121,500 tons), Australia (77,300 tons) and Norway (53,200 tons).   

3.10.2.2 Distribution of Production   

There are more than 10 nickel mines now under operation in China, of which the main ones are the Jinchuan nickel mine in Gansu, the Hongqiling nickel mine in Jilin, and several other mines under the Jilin Nickel Co. The Jinchuan nickel mine alone produced 1.65 million tons of ores in 1994, which accounted for 82.5% of the country's total (Table 3.10.3), and its electrolytic nickel production in the same year made up 78.7% of the country's total nickel output. In addition, the Kalatongke Cu-Ni mine in Xinjiang has a mining capacity of 75,000 tons per year and the Baimazhai Cu-Ni mine in Yunnan, 15,000 tons per year.   

The Jinchuan Nonferrous Metals Co. is the largest nickel producer in China. The commencement of operation of the Jinchuan mine in the 1960s caused a great change in the nickel production of the country. Its first-phase project, after being constructed, provided an annual productive capacity of 20,000 tons of electrolytic nickel; the second-phase project for expansion was completed during the 8th Five Year Plan, which would double the annual productive capacity of electrolytic nickel to 40,000 tons. In 1995, the company produced 33,024 tons of nickel, 14,725 tons of copper, 390 tons of cobalt, 528 kg of precious metals and 100,500 tons of sulfuric acid.   

The Jilin Nickel Co. is located at the Hongqiling Town, Panshi County, Jilin Province. Its mines were constructed in 1960, forming the second largest nickel production base in China. Its productive capacity includes the following: the Fujia mine has a designed capacity of underground mining and supply of 600 t/d; the Daling mine can tackle underground mining and supply of 400 t/d; and the Piaohe open-pit mine can exploit 200 t/d, dress 1,500 t/d, and smelt 2,625 t/d of nickel matte. In 1995, the company actually produced 4,567 tons (nickel content) of nickel matte, 1,100 tons of nickel sulphate, 760 tons (copper content) of copper concentrates, and 12,800 tons of sulfuric acid.   

The Huili nickel mine was designed and constructed in 1958 on the basis of the Limahe Cu-Ni deposit in Sichuan. In 1966, the mine was capable of mining and dressing 500 t/d and roughly smelting 1,200 t/a (nickel content). In 1983, the main orebody at the pithead of the Limahe mine was mined out. In 1986~1992, a mine capable of mining and dressing 100 t/d was gradually constructed at Lengshuiqing, Yanbian, Sichuan. In 1995, the mine was expanded and renovated, obtaining a mining-dressing capacity of 300 t/d. The ore dressing project was entirely completed at the end of the same year and the whole expansion-renovation project was accomplished in 1996. Despite of the construction, the mine produced 1,053.7 tons (nickel content) of nickel matte in 1995.   

The Xinjiang Nonferrous Copper-Nickel Co. (the former Koktokay Mining Bureau of Xinjiang), located in Fukang City and founded in 1950, is a large  complex of nonferrous metals capable of ore mining, dressing and smelting and owning the Koktokay rare metal mine, the Kalatongke Cu-Ni mine and the Fukang Smelter. In 1984, the company worked out the policy of ¡°promoting the rare metals industry and energetically developing the nonferrous metals industry" for the growth of the enterprise; and constructed an electrolytic aluminum plant annually producing 2,400 tons of aluminum ingots, the Kalatongke Cu-Ni mine capable of producing 3,500 tons of nickel matte per year, and the Fukang nonferrous metals metallurgical base that is dominated by copper and nickel smelting and can annually produce 2,040 tons of electrolytic nickel.

Table 3.10.3 Actual mining, dressing and smelting capacities of China's nickel enterprises in 1994

¢Ù Enterprise directly under the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry; ¢Ú Enterprise not directly under the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry.   

The Sichuan Copper-Nickel Co. Ltd., formed by restructuring of both the Chengdu Electric Smelter and the Lala copper mine, is a company solely funded by the State and engaged rnainly in mining, smelting and processing of nonferrous ores. It now has the productive capacity of daily mining and dressing 1,500 tons of copper ores and yearly producing 5,000 tons of electrolytic nickel, 5,000 tons of electrolytic copper, 60 tons of electrolytic cobalt and 100 tons of sulfur-bearing active nickel.   

Besides the above-mentioned large nickel producers, some smelters in Chongqing (of Sichuan). Zhejiang and Henan are producing nickel.   

Nickel smelting is conducted mainly by the Jinchuan Nonferrous Metals Co. in Gansu£»the Koktokay Mining Bureau in Xinjiang£»the Jilin Nickel Co.£»the Huili nickel mine, Chengqing Smelter and Chengdu Electric Smelter in Sichuan£»the Yiwu Smelter in Zhejiang£»and the Xinyang Smelter in Henan.   

Table 3.10.3 shows the actual mining, dressing and smelting capacities of China's nickel enterprises in 1994.