To implement the spirit of the newly revised *Mineral Resources Law of the People's Republic of China*, ensure a smooth transition between old and new policies, and standardize the preparation and review of mineral resource exploration and mining plans, in accordance with Article 33 of the *Mineral Resources Law of the People's Republic of China*, the following announcement is hereby made regarding the preparation and review of mineral resource exploration and mining plans:

I. For initial applications, renewal applications, and amendment applications (expanding or reducing the exploration area, including mergers or divisions of exploration rights), and for significant adjustments to exploration licenses and exploration plans (addition of drilling or pitting methods to the exploration plan), exploration plans must be prepared.

II. For initial applications and amendment applications (proposed expansion or reduction of the mining area involving resource reserves or mining engineering, change of mineral type, or change of mining method), and for mining licenses, mining plans must be prepared.

Mining right holders may prepare exploration and mining plans themselves or entrust relevant institutions to prepare them. Management authorities may not designate specific intermediary institutions or individuals to provide services.

III. Mining right holders shall prepare their mining plans in accordance with relevant standards, technical specifications, and the requirements regarding name, format, and content of the "Temporary Guidelines for the Preparation of Mineral Resource Exploration Plans" (Appendix 1) and the "Temporary Guidelines for the Preparation of Mineral Resource Mining Plans" (Appendix 2). Mining right holders are responsible for the authenticity and compliance of their plans and related materials.

Exploration plans must not contain classified information, and mining plans involving state secrets must be marked with their classification level. Mining right holders shall conduct a confidentiality self-inspection of the submitted materials and be responsible for the results. Any materials involving trade secrets must be explained.

IV. Provincial-level natural resources departments are responsible for formulating policies for the preparation and review of exploration and mining plans throughout the province, supervising and guiding the review of exploration and mining plans throughout the province, and are responsible for the review of plans within the provincial licensing authority.

Provincial and municipal-level natural resources departments shall strengthen the management of the preparation and review of exploration and mining plans in accordance with the authority stipulated in the "Notice of the Henan Provincial Department of Natural Resources on Further Deepening the Reform of Mineral Resource Management" (Yu Ziran Zi Gui [2024] No. 2).

The natural resources authorities shall accept and review exploration and mining plans according to their registration and licensing authority for the main mineral types. The time from acceptance of the application for plan review to completion of the review shall not exceed 10 working days. The time required for plan modification and verification during the review process is not included in the time limit.

V. The review of exploration and mining plans for mining rights with provincial-level licensing authority shall be undertaken by the Henan Provincial Institute of Territorial Spatial Survey and Planning.

The natural resources authorities of each prefecture-level city are responsible for reviewing plans with municipal-level licensing authority, and the review institutions shall be determined by the city itself.

The review fees for exploration and mining plans shall be included in the annual budget of the natural resources authorities. Natural resources authorities, review units, and review experts shall not charge mining rights holders (applicants) any fees.

VI. The provincial-level natural resources authorities are responsible for the construction, management, and maintenance of the province-wide online system for the application and review of exploration and mining plans.

Mining rights holders, as legal entities, shall log in to the "Henan Government Service Network," search for exploration rights or mining rights, and select either mining right to handle the relevant matters. Click “Online Processing,” select “My Mining Rights” (existing mining rights) or “Winning Mining Rights” (newly granted mining rights), enter the mining rights list, click “Scheme Review,” select the corresponding item, and submit the documents and maps required for the review of the exploration or mining scheme.

The provincial and municipal natural resources authorities will upload the approved exploration and mining schemes, along with the opinions of the review institutions, expert review opinions, and a list of experts, to the “Henan Province Mining Rights Registration and Licensing System.”

When submitting exploration schemes, exploration right holders must submit both paper and electronic documents. Electronic documents should be in WPS or PDF format, A4 size; attached drawings should be in MapGIS or ArcGIS format, and images should be in TIF or JPG format.

When submitting mining schemes, mining right holders must submit both paper and electronic documents. Electronic documents should be in WPS or PDF format, and maps should be in MapGIS format.

This announcement is effective from the date of its issuance. In case of any inconsistency between previous regulations and this announcement, this announcement shall prevail. The following notices issued by the Henan Provincial Department of Natural Resources are hereby repealed: "Notice on Relevant Work Concerning the Compilation and Review of Mineral Resource Mining and Ecological Restoration Plans" (豫自然资发〔2020〕61号), "Notice on Relevant Work Concerning the Application and Review of Mineral Resource Mining and Ecological Restoration Plans" (豫自然资发〔2021〕27号), and "Announcement on Relevant Matters Concerning the Review of Mineral Resource Mining and Ecological Restoration Plans" (豫自然资公安〔2021〕4号).

Attachments:

1. Provisional Guidelines for the Compilation of Mineral Resource Exploration Plans (Non-Oil and Gas Minerals).docx

2. Provisional Guidelines for the Compilation of Mineral Resource Mining Plans (Non-Oil and Gas Minerals).docx

October 14, 2025