Xiaobiele is also known as Xiaobieletan[1] from a Chinese word used for both beaches and muddy riverbanks.

[5] As with Dabiele, it is nonetheless nearly saturated with calcite, anhydrite, halite, and (importantly) carnallite,[6] which is processed to produce potash for potassium-rich fertilizers and other uses.

The Bieletan subbasin as a whole—inclusive of Suli, S. Suli, and Dabiele—is also the richest source of brine lithium in China, with an estimated store of 7.74 million metric tons (8.53 million short tons) of lithium chloride.

[7] The lithium derives from hot springs located near Mount Buka Daban which now feed the Narin Gol River or Hongshui River[8] (t 紅水河, s 红水河, Hóngshuǐ Hé) that flows into East Taijinar Lake.

[9] In the past, however, the springs lay within the "Kunlun" paleolake which until about 30,000 years ago produced a river which flowed north into a broad alluvial fan feeding the "Qarhan" paleolake in the Sanhu area.