Against the backdrop of rising global demand for strategic mineral resources and growing attention to supply chain security, Shandong Province in China has actively responded to the new round of the Strategic Action for Prospecting Breakthroughs. Leveraging its unique geological structure and long-accumulated advantages in exploration technology, it has achieved major breakthroughs in the exploration of multiple mineral types. As a world-renowned gold deposit concentration area, the Jiaodong region has added 581 tons of gold resources this time. This achievement not only consolidates its status as the world's third-largest gold mining area but also demonstrates China's profound technical foundation and continuous innovation capabilities in the field of gold exploration. Shandong also performed outstandingly in the exploration of key minerals such as rare earths and crystalline graphite, exceeding national targets ahead of schedule. This significantly enhances China's self-sufficiency in these strategic resources and provides important support for the stability of global related industrial chains. Particularly noteworthy is the discovery of 113 million tons of high-grade iron ore resources in the Qihe-Yucheng exploration area, with an average grade of 55.27%. This finding not only sets an international precedent for prospecting in deep-covered areas but also effectively alleviates the global shortage of high-quality iron ore resources. Prospecting in deep-covered areas has long been a common challenge in the global geological exploration field, and the advanced exploration technologies and innovative metallogenic theories relied on by Shandong's breakthrough have become important references for prospecting work under similar geological conditions worldwide.

Against the backdrop of accelerated global energy transition and shale gas emerging as a key growth point for clean energy, safety and efficiency have become core issues in the international shale gas exploration field. The CSAMT (Controlled Source Audio-Frequency Magnetotellurics) geophysical prospecting project carried out by the Third Jiangsu Coal Geological Exploration Team in the Nanzheng Block of Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province, China, provides a reference technical solution for shale gas exploration risk management in complex terrain areas worldwide. Focusing on 3 wellsite areas in the Nanzheng Block, the project adopts internationally advanced CSAMT technology to achieve high-precision detection of underground geological structures, rock formation resistivity and karst development. In shale gas exploration, geological hazards such as faults and abnormal formations are prone to cause accidents like wellbore collapse, and CSAMT technology, with its deep detection advantages, has become a "precision radar" for identifying such risks. Based on the detailed geological data provided by this technology, the technical team not only provides a scientific basis for wellsite selection but also optimizes the drilling plan, effectively reducing construction risks and costs. Its experience has attracted attention from teams in emerging shale gas exploration regions such as Southeast Asia and Africa. During the project implementation, the technical team overcame challenges such as complex mountain terrain and changeable weather, innovatively using UAVs for equipment transportation and building satellite communication networks to ensure efficient and accurate data collection. The final geophysical prospecting report not only provides technical support for the development of the Nanzheng Block but also lays the foundation for the "going global" of China's geological exploration technology through the alignment of technical parameters with international standards.

Recently, the Hubei Provincial Bureau of Geology in China has achieved a major breakthrough in shale gas exploration in the Lichuan-Zhonglu area. This achievement not only sets a new record for mid-deep shale gas exploration in China but also has important enlightenment significance for the global development of mid-deep unconventional natural gas. The shale gas explored in the Permian strata this time is initially estimated to have newly added resources of nearly 500 billion cubic meters, equivalent to 12% of global annual natural gas consumption (based on 2024 global consumption data). It is worth noting that this achievement has realized the leap of shale gas exploration from 2000 meters to 3500 meters in the mid-deep layer - the E'liye-2 well exposed a 22.3-meter-thick high-gas-content shale layer at a depth of 2400 meters, with an average gas content of 3.69 cubic meters per ton, which is close to the level of some high-quality shale gas producing areas in North America. Based on the exploration results, the technical team has initially delineated a favorable area of nearly 1,000 square kilometers, providing broad space for large-scale development. The development breakthrough of mid-deep shale gas is of great significance to the global energy transition: as a clean and efficient energy source, its commercial development will help China and neighboring countries reduce their dependence on fossil energy and promote the realization of the "carbon neutrality" goal. The Hubei Provincial Department of Natural Resources stated that it will further deepen the research on the accumulation laws of mid-deep shale gas and carry out technical exchanges with international shale gas development enterprises to share exploration experience. A series of these measures will not only tap the resource potential of the Lichuan area but also promote the integration of China's shale gas technical standards with international standards, improving the efficiency of global unconventional natural gas development.

Standardized management and credit supervision are common requirements for the sustainable development of the global geological exploration industry. To adapt to the international industry development trend, China's Ministry of Natural Resources has recently revised the "Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Geological Exploration Activities" and established a new credit-based supervision mechanism, which is highly consistent with the international geological exploration industry supervision framework. In the new mechanism, the "random selection of inspection targets and inspectors, and open release of inspection results" system is in line with the internationally accepted principle of fair supervision. By randomly selecting inspection targets and disclosing results, it ensures supervision transparency and creates a fair competition environment for domestic and foreign geological exploration enterprises. The abnormal list management system draws on the experience of EU enterprise credit supervision, implementing key supervision and credit constraints on violating units to promote the improvement of industry integrity. This supervision system realizes information sharing through a national unified platform, which not only facilitates the work of Chinese supervision departments but also opens key credit information to international partners, reducing cross-border cooperation risks. The new regulations focus on three cores: exploration quality, safety management and integrity construction. Their implementation will promote the formation of a co-governance pattern of "unit self-governance, industry self-discipline, social supervision, and government supervision" in China's geological exploration industry, which is consistent with the sustainable development principles of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM). With the improvement of this system, the compliance level and international competitiveness of Chinese geological exploration enterprises will be further enhanced, providing institutional guarantees for participating in global mineral resource cooperation.

Driven by the global concept of sustainable development, green exploration has become the core development direction of the international geological exploration industry, and the practice of Shandong Province in China has become a global benchmark. Shandong thoroughly practices the concept of green development, develops and promotes internationally leading technologies such as "one base with multiple holes" and intelligent drilling, and forms a green exploration model of "standard support + demonstration leadership". Its experience has been promoted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as a case of green transformation in the mining industry. The "one base with multiple holes" technology reduces the surface disturbance area by more than 40% through optimizing the drill hole layout, greatly reducing ecological impact, and this indicator is better than the standards of some developed countries; intelligent drilling technology, with the help of the Internet of Things and automatic control, has achieved a breakthrough of 25% reduction in energy consumption and almost zero pollutant emissions. The green exploration standard system established by Shandong integrates ecological protection requirements throughout the project from approval to acceptance, which is compatible with the geological exploration environmental management standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). By selecting international-level green exploration demonstration projects, Shandong has attracted enterprises from traditional mining powers such as Australia and Canada to conduct exchanges and learning. Relevant person in charge of the Shandong Provincial Department of Natural Resources stated that in the future, it will carry out green exploration technology training in conjunction with international institutions to promote the application of this model in mineral resource exploration projects along the "Belt and Road". While promoting Shandong's experience nationwide, the Ministry of Natural Resources has launched the international certification of green exploration technology, helping China's exploration technology and services participate in global competition and contributing Chinese solutions to the green transformation of the global geological exploration industry.

Talent training and technical exchanges in geology are the keys to improving the level of the global geological exploration industry, and the National Geological Surveyor Skills Competition has gradually developed into an industry event with international influence. In the 3rd National Geological Surveyor (Mineral Geology Direction) Vocational Skills Competition, 102 contestants from all over China competed on the same stage. The competition covered internationally accepted practical projects such as digital mapping and rock and mineral identification, attracting observers from the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and multiple national geological institutions. The digital mapping project requires contestants to proficiently use internationally mainstream Geographic Information System (GIS) software to accurately visualize geological data, which has become a core quality of global geological workers; the rock and mineral identification project adopts an international standard sample library to ensure the objectivity and comparability of the evaluation results. The Jiangxi provincial team won the group third prize with solid professional capabilities, and the personal results of team members Jiang Qibao and Yuan Qiwen have met the international geological skill evaluation standards. The first Sichuan Provincial Geological Skills Competition launched during the same period specially added a simulation session of "international geological project collaboration" to cultivate contestants' cross-border cooperation capabilities. Through the model of "promoting training through competition", these competitions not only cultivate high-quality geological talents for China but also build a platform for exchanges between Chinese and global geological talents by aligning with international competition standards, helping Chinese geological workers participate in international geological exploration projects and improving the overall efficiency of global mineral resource exploration.

Recently, China's geological exploration industry has achieved remarkable results in resource exploration, technological innovation, management reform, and talent cultivation. These breakthroughs not only strengthen China's voice in the global mineral resources and clean energy fields but also provide key driving forces for the development of the global geological exploration industry. Major discoveries in strategic mineral exploration have effectively alleviated the global shortage of high-quality resources; the leap in mid-deep shale gas technology accurately meets the needs of international energy transition; innovations in credit supervision systems and green exploration models have set international benchmarks for sustainable industry development; the improvement of talent cultivation systems has enhanced the collaborative efficiency of global geological work by building international exchange platforms. With the deepening of geological exploration cooperation between China and countries along the "Belt and Road", these technological achievements and management experiences will further go global, promoting the rational development of global mineral resources and the optimization of energy structures, and contributing the strength of the geological industry to building a community with a shared future for mankind.