Find Mining expertise in Barbados
- Mining
- Quarrying
There are no mining activities for metals or precious minerals in Barbados.
The extractives industries of Barbados, including quarrying, are overseen by the affiliated departments of the Energy Division at the Ministry. These include the Administrative Unit, the Legal and Regulatory Unit, The Natural Resources Department, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Unit, and the Research and Planning Unit. Between them, the departments are responsible for price regulation, legislation, geological and earth-science services, and oversee the state-owned companies in the sector.
Limestone is the biggest resource quarried in Barbados, as it covers nearly 80 per cent of the island. The stone is very pure – more than 97% calcium carbonate – and is layered in thicknesses of between 45 and 105 metres. There are 16 limestone quarries, between them extracting 2.5 million tons per year, with reserves estimated at 30 billion tons.
Sand, clay and shale are the other major resources extracted, finding their primary use in construction. Although sand is plentiful – Barbados has an estimated 69.5 million tons of reserves – its removal is becoming an environmental concern as quarrying is having adverse erosive effects on the coastline.
Alternative sites for sand mining have been proposed further inland, but aren’t as easily accessed and the sand is of a different quality. Shale, used in the manufacture of Portland cement, has estimated reserves of 8.5 million tons and clay an estimated 125 million, which supports the pottery industry on the island.
Quarrying is regulated by the Mines Regulation Act and the Quarries Act.
Mining and Minerals organisations in Barbados | |
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Barbados Water Authority |
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Natural Resources Division |
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Polar Mining Ltd |
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Town and Country Development Planning Office |
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