The average molybdenum content in the Earth's crust is approximately 0.00011%. Approximately 20 types of molybdenum minerals have been discovered, of which molybdenite is the most industrially valuable, followed by tungsten-phase calcium ore, iron platinum ore, molybdenite, and platinum-copper ore. According to data released by the United States Geological Survey in 2015, global molybdenum reserves are approximately 11 million tons, with proven reserves of approximately 19.4 million tons.
Regional Distribution
The world's molybdenum resources are primarily concentrated along the eastern edge of the Pacific Basin, in the Andes, stretching from Alaska and British Columbia through the United States and Mexico to Chile. The most famous is the Cordillera Mountains in the Americas, which host numerous porphyry molybdenum and copper deposits. These include the Clemensk and Henderson porphyry molybdenum deposits in the United States; the El Teniente, Chuquicamata, El Salvador, and Tespidarca porphyry copper-molybdenum deposits in Chile; and the Endaco and Highland Valley porphyry copper-molybdenum deposits in Canada. China also boasts abundant molybdenum reserves, with Henan, Shaanxi, and Jilin provinces accounting for 56.5% of the country's total.
National Distribution
According to data released by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2015, global molybdenum reserves total approximately 11 million tons. China is the world's richest country in molybdenum resources, with 4.3 million tons, followed by the United States (2.7 million tons) and Chile (1.8 million tons). Together, these three countries account for approximately 80% of the global total. Other countries with relatively rich molybdenum resources include Peru (450,000 tons), Canada (260,000 tons), Russia (250,000 tons), Australia (200,000 tons), Mongolia (160,000 tons), Armenia (150,000 tons), Mexico (130,000 tons), Kazakhstan (130,000 tons), Kyrgyzstan (100,000 tons), Turkey (100,000 tons), Uzbekistan (60,000 tons), and Iran (50,000 tons). Distribution in China
China is one of the countries with the richest molybdenum resources in the world. According to data released by the Ministry of Land and Resources, as of the end of 2013, China's proven molybdenum reserves were 26.202 million tons (metal content). In 2014, China's proven molybdenum reserves increased by 1.066 million tons (metal content), bringing the total to 27.268 million tons (metal content). Furthermore, since 2011, China has discovered three new 2-million-ton molybdenum deposits, including one in Shapinggou, Anhui Province, further solidifying its position as the world's largest molybdenum resource country.
