Guizhou province has issued new rules governing the bidding process for mining rights, shifting from a pure price-based auction to a comprehensive scoring system that evaluates technical plans, ecological restoration capacity and industrial conditions.

The province is rich in mineral resources, with 137 types of minerals discovered, accounting for 80% of the national total, and 49 ranking among the top 10 nationally in reserves.

For coal, Guizhou holds proven reserves of about 80 billion tonnes, ranking fifth nationally and first south of the Yangtze River, making it the largest coal base in southern China and a key supplier for the surrounding provinces.

While coal mining rights are still being optimized through institutional reforms and case-by-case transactions, with most coal resources consolidated via mergers and acquisitions, several coal exploration and mining rights were transferred or listed for auction between April and July 2026.

Since launching its "precision development" strategy in 2024, Guizhou has orderly transferred 26 mining rights, with transaction proceeds totaling 1.76 billion yuan, effectively unlocking dormant mineral resources. The province has also revoked over 100 inefficient mining rights that were held without exploration or production, reallocating high-quality resources to leading enterprises and deep-processing industrial chains.

The new rules replace the previous "highest bidder wins" model with a comprehensive evaluation mechanism. Bids are opened publicly at the designated time and place, with full audio and video recording for record-keeping. Evaluation committees, comprising at least seven members with external experts accounting for no less than two-thirds, conduct independent assessments and quantitative scoring without altering evaluation criteria or adding factors.

For exploration rights, the committee must include at least two geology experts, while mining rights require mining and safety specialists, with additional metallurgical experts for projects involving mineral processing and smelting.

The rules encourage open bidding for mining rights, particularly for strategic mineral resources with medium-to-large reserves and high supply scarcity. They apply to all mining rights transfers conducted by natural resources authorities within the province, while accommodating other methods such as auctions, listings and negotiated transfers.

A full-chain management system covering announcement, bid submission, classified evaluation, public bid opening and performance supervision has been established, with a minimum 30-working-day public notice period to ensure transparency. Bid announcements must be published simultaneously on the Ministry of Natural Resources website, local authority platforms and public resource trading platforms.

Bidders are required to guarantee the authenticity of their qualifications, track record, credit standing and development commitments. If fewer than three qualified bidders participate, the tender must be re-conducted to prevent bid-rigging and resource hoarding.