History · Geology
About Maoniuping REE Mine
The Maoniuping REE Mine in Mianning County, Sichuan, is one of China’s largest rare-earth element deposits and the world’s largest single bastnasite REE mine outside Inner Mongolia’s Bayan Obo. Active since 1980s, the deposit produces light REEs (lanthanum, cerium, neodymium) plus collector-grade fluorite, aegirine, and barite specimens with bastnasite as the primary REE mineral.
Geology & Signature Specimens
Mineralization is hosted in carbonatite-syenite complex intruded into Proterozoic basement during the Late Mesozoic. Bastnasite-(Ce) crystallized as primary phase in carbonatite veins, accompanied by fluorite, aegirine, barite, and minor parisite. Collector specimens favor sharp hexagonal bastnasite tablets on white fluorite + green aegirine matrix — visually striking and important for REE-mineral collectors globally.
Minerals Produced Here
- Bastnäsite (氟碳铈矿)
- Monazite (独居石)
- Xenotime (磷钇矿)
