History · Geology
About Panzhihua V-Ti-Magnetite Mine
The Panzhihua V-Ti-magnetite Mine in Panzhihua, southern Sichuan, is one of the world’s largest vanadium and titanium deposits, hosted in a layered mafic intrusion of Late Permian age. Active since 1965, the mine supplies the bulk of Chinese vanadium for steel-alloy production and titanium for pigments. Collector specimens favor massive magnetite-ilmenite ore textures and rare V-bearing accessory minerals.
Geology & Signature Specimens
The deposit consists of layered gabbro-anorthosite host rocks of the Emeishan large igneous province, with vanadiferous titanomagnetite ore beds 5–60 m thick. Ilmenite, magnetite, and minor pyroxenes (augite, hedenbergite) compose the ore mineralogy. Reserves exceed 10 billion tonnes ore, ~1 billion tonnes contained Fe, plus significant V₂O₅ and TiO₂.
