2. China's major iron ore types

Probably due to large national land area and multi-period orogeny, lots of iron deposits developed in China, and the proven total reserves of iron ores are relatively abundant, but mainly low-grade ores. The research shows that the types of iron ore deposits in China are diverse and the metallogenic epoch spanned from the Archean to the Cenozoic, which mainly includes seven types [1–6].

type deposit is generally medium to small, mainly distributed in the Damiao and Heishan in

The Chinese Iron Ore Deposits and Ore Production http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.76729 5

This type of iron ores are associated with the contact metasomatism resulted from intrusive rocks and carbonate rocks, and are formed by the exchange of iron-bearing gas-water solutions. Such deposits generally have typical skarn mineral assemblages and are also known as silicon carbon type deposit. Skarn iron ore ages were mainly Mesozoic, ore grade is generally rich, the reserves are generally small and medium, although there are some large ones. Identified reserves of this type are 8 billion tons, accounting for 13% of the total reserves. Skarn iron ore is widely distributed in China, with such deposits as Handan, Laiwu, Daye and Linfen in the east. In addition, Cuihongshan in Heilongjiang Province, Huanggang in Inner Mongolia, Lizhu in Zhejiang Province, Dading in Guangdong Province, Mulonggou in Xianxi Province

This type of deposit is associated with volcanic rocks and sub-volcanic rocks in a genetic relationship, with a proven reserve of 2 billion tons, accounting for 4% of the country's total reserves. It would be divided into continental volcano-intrusive iron ore and marine volcano-

Continental volcanic-intrusive iron ore deposits are mostly associated with middle- or medium-acid volcanic rocks and are mainly produced in volcanic clasts or in the contact zones within and around the pluton. The mineralization age is Mesozoic. It is mainly located in Ningwu-Luzong area, often referred to as "porphyrite iron ore". In addition, the Jiaduoling iron ore deposit in Tibet and the Liangzi iron ore in Sichuan Province are also known as

This type of deposits was formed by weathering, then broken, decomposed, transported of iron-bearing rock to low-lying basins, and after mechanical deposition, or some through the deposition of differentiation. Metallogenic times of sedimentary iron deposits are diverse with a proven mineral resource of 5 billion tons, accounting for 9% of China's total reserves. According to the sedimentary environment, there are two subtypes of this kind: marine type and lake facies type. Marine sedimentary iron deposits were produced in various geologic periods after Neoproterozoic. It is represented by "Xuanlong" iron ore of Pangjiabao and the

These deposits are formed by weathering and leaching of the rich iron rocks and/or ironbearing polymetallic ores, and iron ore was accumulated on the residual slope. This type is

Hebei Province, which is called the "Damiao-type" iron deposit.

2.3. Contact metasomatic - hydrothermal iron ore deposits

and Nixon in Tibet also yield skarn type iron ore deposits.

2.4. Volcanic - intrusive type iron ore deposits

continental volcano-intrusive iron deposits.

"Ningxiang" iron ore Ningxiang in Hebei Province.

2.6. Weathered leaching type iron ore deposits

2.5. Sedimentary iron ore deposits

intrusive iron deposits.
