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Largest Ever Chinese Gold Reserve Found But There's Just One Problem

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Largest Ever Chinese Gold Reserve Found But There's Just One Problem

Written by Nathan McDonald (Click for Original)

 

Gold is an incredibly rare, valuable and thus highly sought after asset. This is just as true today, despite what Western mainstream media would have you believe, as it has been for thousands of years.

When you pick up a solid gold bar for the first time in your life (an experience I recommend to all) you come to the true realization that "this is money". Not the phony fiat nonsense that governments around the world have manipulated the masses into saving their life's wealth; not some IOU that they tell you will "one day" have value.

The Chinese government and its people know this more than just about any other country in the world, perhaps only rivaled by Russia and India. Because of this fact, they are now the worlds largest producer of gold and one of the largest "official" holders of the yellow metal.

This connection to gold runs deep within the Chinese population and there is a strong desire to continue on with this trend. The only problem with this fact goes back to my opening paragraph, gold is rare.

Not only is gold incredibly rare, but it is becoming increasingly more difficult to find new reserves. To make matters worse, much of the easy to mine gold has already been discovered and mined, leading exploration companies to search for the king of metals in locations where the ore is becoming increasingly difficult to extract.

Largest Ever Chinese Gold Reserve Found But There's Just One Problem - Nathan McDonald

One such search has hit the motherload. The Shandong Provincial No. 3 Institute of Geological and Mineral Survey on Monday announced that they have discovered the largest ever Chinese gold deposit.

The only problem? It's 2000 meters undersea. This discovery which is located in Laizhou, eastern ?China’s Shandong province, is estimated to contain 470.47 tonnes of gold. This amount is truly staggering and equates to approximately $16 billion US dollars, based on current gold prices.

The magnitude of a project to acquire this gold should not be overlooked. Yes, offshore mining technology has come a long way, but the cost to achieve the end results may make the venture utterly unprofitable at current market prices.

Yet the true takeaway from this story is the fact that companies are having to venture further and further into completely undesirable locations to find new reserves and should point out the fact that eventually prices WILL make these ventures profitable.

The reality is, the world isn't creating anymore gold. As the global economy continues down this path of uncertainty there will be one asset that the world will turn to in its hour of need more than any other- the king of metals, gold.

 

 

Please email with any questions about this article or precious metals HERE


 

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Sat, 11/14/2015 - 18:39 | 6793838 Setarcos
Setarcos's picture

 

"When you pick up a solid gold bar for the first time in your life (an experience I recommend to all) you come to the true realization that "this is money"."

Utter BS, it is just heavy and very much like lead in that respect.

Gold is not money unless minted as a coin and stamped with some face value (fiat) which may or may not represent the cost of mining it - essentially the supply of food, shelter, clothing, etc. which miners need and with a medium exchange other than the gold they mine, whether it be silver, copper and nickel coins, or paper or digital money/medium of exchange/legal tender.

Sat, 11/14/2015 - 17:12 | 6793550 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

     I guess paper gold has to go to 300x before it's economically feasible?

Sat, 11/14/2015 - 18:48 | 6793872 Setarcos
Setarcos's picture

I heard a debate on Greg Hunter's show where it was said that if gold had to back global world trade (never mind crap like derivatives) it would have to be 'worth' about $250,000 per ounce ... so who is going to risk carrying a one ounce coin, or shipping a ton of the stuff to settle some major trade.

The Gold Standard is a load of crap and has never applied, ever since the Romans clipped coins and medieval goldsmiths began fractional reserve banking.

Sat, 11/14/2015 - 11:33 | 6792004 elephant
elephant's picture

"This amount is truly staggering and equates to approximately $16 billion US dollars..."

Whenever I hear stories like this I just have to wonder.  Is $16 billion US really that much?  We were printing $85 billion/month for how long?  Printing is easier than mining.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 13:03 | 6786853 Harnar
Harnar's picture

Darling it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from me

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 16:58 | 6788026 Onan_the_Barbarian
Onan_the_Barbarian's picture

That reads much dirtier than when Sebastien said it.

Sat, 11/14/2015 - 01:19 | 6790721 LowerSlowerDela...
LowerSlowerDelaware_LSD's picture

Since gold is just a barbarous relic and/or rock why would they go through the trouble of finding it then obtaining it?

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 12:10 | 6786563 gaoptimize
gaoptimize's picture

Planetary Resources Inc. and Deep Space Industries Inc. have another plan: http://mic.com/articles/115786/the-next-great-gold-rush-won-t-be-taking-...

I'm sure they have figured out the price of platinum and gold that will trigger their IPOs.

http://qz.com/547119/congress-has-passed-the-first-us-space-law-for-aste...

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 15:10 | 6787373 Antifaschistische
Antifaschistische's picture

So, what's the big deal....it's like Fort Knox...."just trust us, we have a lot of gold" even if no one is ever able to see it or touch it.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 15:27 | 6787463 Perimetr
Perimetr's picture

So it is like the US "deep storage reserves"??

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 11:43 | 6786526 Zero-Hegemon
Zero-Hegemon's picture

 

 

"The surveyors say they may have run into some quicksand up ahead. Better check it out"

"Okay, I'll send down a team of horses to check out the ground"

"HORSES? We can't afford to lose any horses, you dummy!"

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 11:42 | 6786525 Reichstag Fire Dept.
Reichstag Fire Dept.'s picture

Is the gold in lode form or aluvial? 

In my experience, where there is lode gold there is aluvial in a historic "channel" below it. 

I know how to recover the aluvial, it doesn't matter if it's in the bottom of the Marianas Trench! In fact, look in all the lowest spots in the world, the gold in our sluice box always finds the lowest spots when we're gold mining in the Klondike. 

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 11:15 | 6786447 secretargentman
secretargentman's picture

Gold as money isn't perfect, but it's a damn sight better than any alternatives that can be printed to infinity by institutional thieves.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 10:48 | 6786321 Bemused Observer
Bemused Observer's picture

Look at that! Even the Chinese are having 'boating accidents'...

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 19:26 | 6789024 Sanity Bear
Sanity Bear's picture

That's one of the things that can happen when your transportation arrangements are junk.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 10:15 | 6786183 MrBoompi
MrBoompi's picture

Take total net worth of everything you own and divide it by the current cost/oz, in USD, of gold.  This will give you how many ounces of gold you are worth.  Do the same next year.  If you are worth more ounces of gold, you are wealthier.  If not, you are poorer.  The problem with gold (and silver) are that we tend to value them only in relation to the fiat dollar, which itself is the source of manipulation.

Sat, 11/14/2015 - 14:59 | 6792938 Lockesmith
Lockesmith's picture

Wealth is a very nebulous concept. An ounce of gold will buy your far more today than 100 years ago; the price of reptetive labour is much lower now, so clothing, for example, relative to gold is much lower.

Certainly, ounces of gold is a better measure than fiat, but it is still not a cast iron relationship.

Wealth is human labour, which has different value in different circumstances.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 09:22 | 6785966 Mike Masr
Mike Masr's picture

Maybe the Annunaki will come back and open up a fresh mine. Only problem is we are the slave labor.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 10:54 | 6786343 roddy6667
roddy6667's picture

Wouldn't people shit themselves if this happened! More likely than the return of Jesus or any of those other crazy stories.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 14:14 | 6787123 Shaznardickleze...
Shaznardickleze the Doon's picture

Shovel ready jobs.

Sat, 11/14/2015 - 02:36 | 6790716 LowerSlowerDela...
LowerSlowerDelaware_LSD's picture

If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor.

Your insurance will be $2500/year cheaper.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 03:44 | 6785558 Conax
Conax's picture

Even after they break into the vein of gold bearing ore and bust it up, they still have to haul it a mile straight up.  Thousands of tons of it. Gold prices will have to be a lot higher before they even begin to move on this.

There are many tons of almost pure gold beneath the shallow waters of the Caribbean.

Spanish galleons loaded to the gunnels sank all the time, and most of those wrecks are still out there someplace.

That's where I'd be prospecting.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 14:14 | 6787121 tgatliff
tgatliff's picture

The world might not be making any more gold (The world never made any gold to begin with), but stars sure are... After the first asteroid is mined, which is probably a decade or so away, even gold prices will be smashed... Cryptocurrencies are the the long term solution, IMO.

Sat, 11/14/2015 - 01:23 | 6790732 LowerSlowerDela...
LowerSlowerDelaware_LSD's picture

Don't worry... Global Warming® (since rebranded Climate Change®, since rebranded CO2 Pollution®, since rebranded Climate Disruption®) will kill us all first.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 02:24 | 6785463 dark pools of soros
dark pools of soros's picture

can't we just ask the dolphins to get it?

 

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 03:17 | 6785532 Bananamerican
Bananamerican's picture

this "story' pulled my chain....& I don't like that

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 00:16 | 6785268 bluskyes
bluskyes's picture

Just build an island in the ocean on top of the gold - then sink a shaft right down the middle.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 08:46 | 6785832 Semi-employed W...
Semi-employed White Guy's picture

Then at least the US would have a reason for wanting to take it over.

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 23:59 | 6785205 Razzle Dazzle
Razzle Dazzle's picture

Seen these resource estimates before:  X x Y x Z multiply by grade plucked straight from the sphinkter. Reserve is likely zero due to recovery of zero.  BFS is done, now let's raise some money?

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 21:15 | 6784783 o r c k
o r c k's picture

Miles long asteroids will be found made of solid gold, silver and platinum. I'd suggest THIS as a business enterprise for the adventurous.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 22:44 | 6790263 Farqued Up
Farqued Up's picture

Get the Glomar Explorer cranked up, it has some big ass claws to just rip it out and up.

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 21:11 | 6784773 MaxThrust
MaxThrust's picture

2000 meters is no problem.  Yes the initial set up costs will be high but solutions to engineering problems will be found.  Its simple really, once the bulk of problems are solved China will be in a position to help mine other deposits some probably in teritories own by other countries. A wothwhile inverstment if you ask me.

Max

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 20:13 | 6784578 SmittyinLA
SmittyinLA's picture

Bullish for Transocean

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 20:04 | 6784556 medium giraffe
medium giraffe's picture

Lemmie guess - a boating accident?

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 18:36 | 6784271 wanderer9641
wanderer9641's picture

Only worth about 16 billion - what is that? About 3 days of selling UST.   Sell the UST and pick up 400 tons to take home. Simple

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 17:47 | 6784061 Sudden Debt
Sudden Debt's picture

There are mountain sized diamonds in the middle of the planet. All cool and stuff but if you can't get there, it means shit.

That gold will be mined. In the future. About 100 years from now.

And maybe that's not a bad thing. Why shouldn't future generations have a shot at actually making money because alll they'll get is dry sand and ordinairy rocks.

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 17:54 | 6784093 SILVERGEDDON
SILVERGEDDON's picture

Sink a mining shaft on dry land.

Tunnel over to the deposit.

Use more shoring than you normally would.

Mine the living rat fuck out of the deposit.

Send me my 10% consultation fee for the metal recovery plan.

Thank you, thank you very much.

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 23:49 | 6785181 Razzle Dazzle
Razzle Dazzle's picture

What could go wrong? Rhetorical ... don't answer. Good luck with that plan. 

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 17:06 | 6783849 XitSam
XitSam's picture

Hey! That's exactly where I was rowing when the bottom of my boat fell out!

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 20:07 | 6784561 tenpanhandle
tenpanhandle's picture

So whats that mean...there's an extra 2 ounces sitting on top of that 400 ton deposit?

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 16:47 | 6783733 Dre4dwolf
Dre4dwolf's picture

If someone offered you 16 Billion U.S. dollars or 470 Tonnes of Gold.

Which would you choose?

 

Id pick the gold I think.

But I would probably sell 15% of it to build a fortress to put the rest of the gold in.

Unless I could find a supplier and contractor willing to deal in gold.

Which works also.

 

16 Billion dollars is not all that impressive anymore.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 10:34 | 6786258 NoBillsOfCredit
NoBillsOfCredit's picture

What a waste of a life. Persuing a thing you can't take with you and guarding it until the inevitable day. Screw that! Make enough to live a good life and go experience this life. Oh, that so called fortress won't keep out the determined if the force is good enough.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 00:20 | 6785273 bluskyes
bluskyes's picture

A billion dollars isn't what it used to be - Nelson Bunker Hunt

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 17:32 | 6783974 Antifaschistische
Antifaschistische's picture

if they dig a big enough hole in the ocean floor, won't it help compensate for rising ocean levels?  Gore would be supportive of this initiative.

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 17:10 | 6783875 Benjamin123
Benjamin123's picture

Hire Andre Maginot´s ghost to organize your castle´s defenses while you are at it.

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 16:46 | 6783727 8th Estate
8th Estate's picture

I suspect it's entirely fictional.

There was me wondering how the Chinese were going to admit they have 25,000 tons of gold in the vault and not the trifling 2,000 they've been admitting to so far, without looking like, well, massive liars.

The answer is before us - an unverifiable deposit that they don't even need to mine.

They can just CLAIM that they've mined it, then report the 400 tons.

Next month there will be another, and then another.

Watch how fast we get from 2,000 tons to 25,000 tons.

It's a nice move.

Efficient.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 07:23 | 6785720 roddy6667
roddy6667's picture

It's very believable. China's biggest gold mines are in the area. The new discovery is directly offshore from the Cangshan open pit gold mine, one of the most productive mines in China.

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 21:05 | 6784752 . . . _ _ _ . . .
. . . _ _ _ . . .'s picture

Agreed, especially since the sea around there is nowhere near 2000 metres deep.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 10:57 | 6786363 . . . _ _ _ . . .
. . . _ _ _ . . .'s picture

More dis-info from Sprott.

Brought to you by The U of T, the CBC, and Barrick.

Thu, 11/12/2015 - 23:46 | 6785169 Casey Jones
Casey Jones's picture

Exactly. Why wouldn't have China been buying up gold these past 20-whatever years the U.S. has been handing over all its industry and sending its legendary "consumer" spending over there? And like any smart hoarder why wouldn't they not admit it? Spot on analysis. So how does the Nazi Gold Train figure in?

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