[Project Team Area Creation Initiative] Pooling Strength to Tackle Tough Challenges and Boldly Raising the Banner of Overseas Mineral Exploration: A Report on the Party Member Commando Team of Shandong Institute’s Zirconium‑Molybdenum Overseas Project

“Braving thorns and obstacles, daring to break new ground, stepping forward with responsibility, and persevering with unwavering tenacity” is the solemn pledge steadfastly upheld by the Party-member Commando Team of Shandong Institute’s zirconium‑graphite overseas project. On the vast, desolate plains of Mozambique, they rise early and return late, battling scorching heat and overcoming formidable challenges, working tirelessly at two project sites: a detailed exploration of zirconium‑titanium sand deposits in three mining areas, and a detailed exploration of graphite deposits in another. For an extended period, they have remained on the front lines of overseas operations, shouldering the critical mission of pioneering and deepening the Bureau (Group)’s presence in the Mozambican market. With concrete actions, they embody the spirit of “exceptional resilience and selfless dedication,” and through their tireless efforts, they are building projects of meticulous craftsmanship.

Thousands of miles away in Mozambique, the crimson team flag binds them tightly together as they energetically fulfill their mission under the new round of the strategic initiative for breakthroughs in mineral exploration. They fully embody the spirit and demeanor of an overseas Party-member commando unit—ready to take on tough battles and secure victory, always maintaining a forward‑charging stance. Charging ahead, assuming responsibility proactively, and overcoming formidable challenges, they translate their mission and duties into concrete actions through hard work and dedication.

Proactively taking on challenges, a lean and elite team embarks on a new journey.

Amid the resounding call of the new round of strategic initiatives for breakthroughs in mineral exploration, the Shandong Institute has continued its detailed exploration projects at three zircon–titanium sandstone deposits in Mozambique and undertaken a detailed exploration project for a graphite deposit in another Mozambican mining area. The project mandates the timely completion, prior to the onset of the rainy season, of partial detailed exploration work at three zircon–titanium sandstone sites and one graphite site, while concurrently conducting studies on the geological settings of Mozambique’s graphite and zircon–titanium sandstone resources, thereby providing accurate and reliable baseline data to support subsequent applications for mining rights.

Faced with multiple challenges—tight deadlines and heavy workloads—the project leader, Meng Linghua, who boasts years of experience in overseas geological operations, proactively proposed establishing a five‑member “Zirconium‑Graphite Overseas Project Party Member Commando Team” drawn from two projects in Mozambique. The team brings together highly capable professionals, including master craftsmen, chief experts, outstanding Communist Party members, young model workers, and technical backbones. In May this year, armed with the client’s trust, the institute’s Party and administrative leadership’s expectations, and the heartfelt concern of their families, the commando team embarked on a grueling journey across vast distances to Mozambique, launching a new chapter of exploration aimed at achieving breakthroughs in mineral discovery. They have been at the forefront of tackling complex issues and overcoming formidable obstacles, guided by clear objectives and brimming with fighting spirit, determined to identify high‑quality deposits, large‑scale resources, and urgently needed minerals. Through concrete actions, they set an example, shoulder heavy responsibilities, and resolve pressing challenges.

Accurately Addressing Challenges, Rising to the Task and Pioneering Leadership

Wherever the Party flag points, we will never yield, no matter how many difficulties lie ahead; wherever the mission leads, we will shoulder every peril without hesitation! “From the moment we received the assignment, we all tacitly resolved to give it our all—no matter how arduous or exhausting, we would see these two projects through with excellence, for we must never let down the trust and high expectations of the organization,” Meng Linghua said, visibly moved. The dense jungle’s sweltering heat, abundant venomous insects and wild beasts, the heavy sandstorms along the coast, language barriers, and poor transportation—all these challenges have tested the endurance, perseverance, confidence, and determination of the Party-member commando team working on the overseas zirconium‑carbon project.

Flags point the way—wherever the going is toughest, we press forward! At six in the morning, even before the first rays of sunlight have fully lifted the veil of night, the team is already geared up and ready to go, carrying out their assigned tasks: drilling, surveying, geological mapping, core logging, and sample washing. Racing across wind-swept deserts and working under the blazing sun has become the daily norm for the team on the front lines in Mozambique. “Right now, temperatures are around 38 to 39 degrees Celsius, and they’ll climb even higher soon,” says Cui Qinggang, head of the graphite mine detailed exploration project.

In temperatures approaching forty degrees Celsius, swarms of mosquitoes and other insects raged unchecked. Team members donned hats, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants, cinching their trouser legs tightly, and moved through thick, air‑tight grasses over two meters high or dense jungles, fully equipped and on high alert to ward off snake attacks. Sweat poured down their faces without pause. In the work area, where dunes stretched endlessly, fierce winds whipped up blinding sand, making mapping and surveying exceptionally arduous; flying grains stung their skin with a searing, knife‑like pain. “The heat is so intense it feels like our very bodies are being steamed away,” said the task force leader. “But we must grit our teeth and press on, working day and night without rest. No matter how harsh the conditions, every member of our team must hold the line at the front.” Amidst the swirling yellow sands, they worked selflessly, each one embodying the team’s unwavering resilience and its steadfast determination to discover major mineral deposits for the nation.

Corresponding to the harsh working conditions is equally rudimentary living accommodation. The detailed exploration team for the zircon‑titanium sand deposit, where Meng Linghua is stationed, lives in hastily erected prefab barracks—without water or electricity, relying on manual generators to produce power. Mineral water is rationed, and they filter ordinary tap water with sand before drinking it. “I just brew tea anyway,” he says. “Compared with sleeping in a tent before, these conditions are already quite good; any difficulties I can personally overcome aren’t really difficulties at all!” In his words shines the optimistic spirit characteristic of geologists.

In the face of urgent, difficult, dangerous, and critical situations, every team member has remained at the forefront, steadfastly upholding their commitments and proactively overcoming multiple challenges—harsh mine‑site conditions, complex geological circumstances, and tight project deadlines. While ensuring meticulous attention to detail at every stage of the work, they have raced against time to meet critical milestones, pressing forward with relentless effort to stay on schedule. At the same time, they have actively facilitated effective communication between the client and local stakeholders, thereby ensuring the smooth implementation of the project.

Efficient problem-solving and collaborative efforts yield tangible results.

Under the leadership of team leader Meng Linghua, the personnel from the two project teams obtained topographic and remote-sensing data for the mining area well in advance and made thorough preparations. Faced with the complex and variable geological conditions of the site, the team conducted comprehensive analyses on a regular basis, actively discussed and exchanged ideas to address the challenges they encountered, and systematically summarized and shared their experiences. By adopting an iterative approach—moving “from theory to practice, and then back to theory”—they rapidly gained a solid understanding of the mine’s geology, laying a robust foundation for subsequent work.

To ensure sampling efficiency, the team conducts comparative drilling experiments every one to two months, with three drilling crews using different methods in the same borehole. Through four rounds of pre‑ and post‑drilling comparisons, experience sharing, and mutual refinement, they have gradually developed a standardized sand‑sampling procedure, raising the local sand‑sample recovery rate from around 75% to over 90%. This has significantly improved both the quality and productivity of the drilling operations. To date, more than 2,500 measurement points have been completed, mapping an area exceeding 400 square kilometers, with nearly 33,000 meters of drilling, over 100,000 cubic meters of trenching, and the collection and processing of more than 18,000 samples. In Mozambique’s zircon–titanium sand deposits, the borehole mineralization encounter rate has reached 76.7%, roughly delineating 16 ore bodies, with estimated zircon and ilmenite resources of approximately 8 million tons. Meanwhile, at the graphite mining site in Mozambique, construction has successfully confirmed the extension of the existing ore body and led to the discovery of new graphite ore bodies No. VI, VII, VIII, and IX. Preliminary estimates suggest that these newly identified graphite deposits will add over 1 million tons of graphite resources. The Party-member task force has delivered a high‑quality “report card” through outstanding mineral exploration results.

When asked whether he would be able to return home for the Spring Festival in 2025, team leader Meng Linghua replied, “It still depends on the situation.” Last year, he and his teammate Zhang Lei also spent the Spring Festival at a mining site in Mozambique. Among this Party-member task force, each member spends an average of more than 180 days per year working overseas.

Such is this red‑flagged vanguard of the geological profession: undaunted by hardship, uncomplaining in the face of toil, they press forward with courage into the far‑flung lands of South Africa, fighting on the front lines of strategic mineral resource exploration. With steadfast resolve, they embody the spirit of “Three Glories and Four Special Qualities,” writing a new‑era tale of ceaseless dedication to the high‑quality development of China’s national geological cause.

Editor’s Commentary ：

As a heroic geological team stationed in Mozambique, the commando unit has tackled numerous challenges on the front lines of overseas projects with an indomitable spirit—launching into battle as soon as work begins and sprinting forward from the very outset. They have accelerated project implementation and pioneered a standardized sand‑sampling procedure, boosting the local sample‑collection rate from around 75% to over 90%. Operating in complex geological settings abroad, they have amassed valuable experience in mineral exploration, embodying a tenacious, hardworking ethos and a fearless, go‑for‑it attitude. By sustaining relentless efforts on the front lines of exploration, they have achieved groundbreaking results, strengthened Sinochem Geology’s brand in international markets, and written a brilliant new chapter of Party members’ commitment to shouldering responsibilities and overcoming obstacles in “urgent, difficult, dangerous, and novel” missions.