Maoniuping REE deposit, Mianning Co., Liangshan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China

World's second largest REE deposit, with proven reserves of 0.4 million tonnes of ore grading at 2% REE oxides. The deposit consists of bastnäsite-baryte-carbonate veins, which are associated with nordmarkite and hosted in a carbonatite-syenite complex (K-Ar ages of arfvedsonites and biotites: 27.8-40.3 Ma).
Located within the Panzhihua-Xichang ("Pan-Xi") rift, a N-S trending major regional pull-apart graben structure developed during the late Paleozoic.


The coordinates given are those of the next population center.

References:
- Yuan, Z., Shi, Z., and Chi, R. (1995): The Maoniuping Rare Earth Deposit, Sichuang, China. Beijing Earthquake Press, Beijing, pp. 14–40.
- Yang, Z., Smith, M.P., Henderson, P., Le Bas, M.J., Tao, K., and Zhang, P. (2000): Compositional variation of the bastnaesite-synchysite polysomatic series from the Maoniuping REE deposit, Southwest China. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie Monatshefte, ?(10), 466-480.
- Wang Dehong, Yang Jianming, Yan, S., Xu Jue, Chen Yichuan, Pu Guanping, and Luo Yaonan (2001) A special orogenic-type rare earth element deposit in Maoniuping, Sichuan, China: geology and geochemistry. Resource Geology 51, 177-188.
- Xu Jiuhua, Xie Yuling, Li Jianping, and Hou Zengqian (2001): Discovery of Sr-bearing and LREE daughter minerals in fluid inclusions of Maoniuping REE deposit, Sichuan Province. Progress in Natural Science 11(11), 833-837.
- Dawei Meng, Xiuling Wu, Tao Mu, and Douxing Li (2001): Microstructural investigation of new polytypes of Parisite-(Ce) by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Canadian Mineralogist 39, 1713-1724.
- Zhuming, Y. (2002): Composition of Ca-REE Fluorocarbonate Minerals in Maoniuping and Implications to Their Genesis. Journal of the Chinese Rare Earth Society 20(1), 61-67.
- Wang, D.H., Yang, J.M., and Yan, S.H. (2002): Dynamics of the REE mineralization in Maoniuping area, Sichuan Province: Isotopic geochemistry of carbonatites. Journal of Chengdu University of Technology 29(5), 539-544.
- Yang, Z., Fleck, M., Smith, M., Tao, K., Song, R., Zhang, P. (2002): The crystal structure of natural Fe-rich chevkinite-(Ce). European Journal of Mineralogy, 14, 969-975.
- Orris, G.J., and Grauch, R.I. (2002): Rare Earth Element Mines, Deposits and Occurrences. USGS Open-File Report 02-189, 174 pp.
- Xu, C. and Huang, Z.-L. (2003): Origin of PGE in fluorites from Maoniuping REE Deposit, Sichuan Province China. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Supplement 67(18), 540.
- Xu, C., Huang, Z.-L., Liu, C.-Q., Li, W.-B., and Guan, T. (2003): Sources of Ore-Forming Fluids in the Maoniuping REE Deposit, Sichuan Province, China: Evidence from REE, Radiogenic Sr, Nd, and Stable-Isotope Studies. International Geology Review, 45(7), 635-645.
- Xu Cheng, Huang Zhilong, Liu Congqiang, Qi Liang, Li Wenbo, and Guan Tao (2003): PGE geochemistry of carbonatites in Maoniuping REE deposit, Sichuan Province, China: Preliminary study. Geochemical Journal 37, 391-399.
- Niu Hecai, Shan Qiang, Chen Xiaoming, and Zhang Haixiang (2003): Relationship between light rare earth deposits and mantle processes in Panxi rift, China. Science in China, Series D (Earth Sciences), 46(Suppl.), 41-49.
- Cheng Xu, Huan Zhang, Zhilong Huang, Congqiang Liu, Liang Qi, Wenbo Li, and Tao Guan (2004): Genesis of the carbonatite-syenite complex and REE deposit at Maoniuping, Sichuan Province, China: Evidence from Pb isotope geochemistry. Geochemical Journal 38(1), 67-76.
- Ganfu Shen, Guangming Yang, Jinsha Xu (2005): Maoniupingite-Ce: A New rare-earth Mineral from the Maoniuping rare-earth Deposit in Mianning, Sichuan. Sedimentary Geology and Tethyan Geology [Chenji Yu Tetisi Dizhi] 25(1/2), 210-216 (in Chinese with English abstract).
- Xie Yuling, Hou Zengqian, Xu Jiuhua, Yuan Zhongxin, Bai Ge, and Li Xiaoyu (2006): Discovery of Cu-Zn, Cu-Sn intermetallic minerals and its significance for genesis of the Mianning-Dechang REE Metallogenic Belt, Sichuan Province, China. Science in China, Series D (Earth Sciences), 49(6), 597-603.
- Huang, Z.L., Yan, Z.F., Xu, C., Zhang, Z.L., and Liu, C.Q. (2006): Mineralization by mantle fluids in the Miaoniuping REE deposit, Sichuan Province, China. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 89(1-3), 165-169.
- Zengqian Hou, Shihong Tian, Yuling Xie, Zhusen Yang, Zhongxin Yuan, Shuping Yin, Longsheng Yi, Hongcai Fei, Tianren Zou, Ge Bai, and Xiaoyu Li (2009): The Himalayan Mianning-Dechang REE belt associated with carbonatite-alkaline complexes, eastern Indo-Asian collision zone, SW China. Ore Geology Reviews (in press). DOI 10.106/j.oregeorev.2009.03.001