China has struck gold — literally — after geologists discovered an estimated $83 billion worth of gold in central China's Hunan Province, though accessing the underground deposit might be easier said than done.

China has discovered gold deposits in Hunan province, estimated to be worth nearly £66 billion, the province's geological office announced. According to preliminary estimates, the newly discovered reserves contain over a thousand tonnes of the precious metal.

Authorities in Mali have arrested four senior employees of a Canadian mining company as the military regime in the West African nation continues to detain workers to pressure companies in its crucial mining sector to pay millions in additional taxes.

Four employees of Canada's Barrick Gold have been charged and detained pending trial in Mali, the company said on Tuesday, as the military-led government strives to raise more money from mining companies.