Core samples drilled from the superlarge lead-zinc deposit in Shuitangbao township, Hezhang county in Guizhou province. [Photo provided by Hezhang county bureau of land and resources/for chinadaily.com.cn]

A superlarge lead-zinc ore deposit was discovered in Shuitangbao township, Hezhang county in Guizhou province.

With an economic value of over 70 billion yuan ($9.9 billion), the deposit will help poor areas rise out of poverty and provide key resources to revitalize Guizhou's industrial sector, officials said.

Ninety-two major ore bodies have been delineated with an average lead-zinc grade of 10 percent. The lead-zinc metal resources submitted for exploration were set at more than 3.27 million metric tons, accompanied by important mineral resources including gold, silver, gallium, cadmium, germanium and selenium.

Drilling site of a superlarge lead-zinc deposit in Shuitangbao township, Hezhang county, Guizhou province. [Photo provided by Hezhang county bureau of land and resources/for chinadaily.com.cn]

The thickness of the ore body of the newly discovered deposit is 10 times the thickness needed to economically justify mining.

At present, the area has been reviewed and recorded for exploration of reserves. Guizhou's Department of Natural Resources will continue to promote related units to further expand prospecting in the mining area.

Che Weiwei contributed to this story.