Find Mining expertise in Vanuatu

Vanuatu has significant mineral resources, including precious metals and manganese. However the lack of stable infrastructure has made it difficult to support a large mining industry. There was a small manganese mine on Efaté, which ceased operations in 1980. In 2006, local company Vanuatu Project Management Ltd signed a deal with the government of Vanuatu to export the considerable amount of remaining manganese from Efaté, although no further mining took place. Since this time there has been investment in improving the infrastructure for future manganese prospecting.

In recent years research has been conducted to suggest that there is significant potential for deep-sea mining within Vanuatu’s large exclusive economic zone. In early 2014 the government of Vanuatu hosted a regional workshop in collaboration with the European Commission’s Social Protection Committee Pacific Deep Sea Minerals Project. The workshop was attended by civil society organisations, mining companies and government officials from across the Pacific, and focused on the potential social impact of such mining activities and the importance of public engagement in the government’s decision-making process about whether or not to engage with deep sea mining activities. Vanuatu’s Minister for Land and Natural Resources, Ralph Regenvanu, said there needed to be wide consultation before any further steps were taken.

Quarrying activities in Vanuatu include beach mining in the Mele Bay area, which is mainly carried out by locals, despite government regulation forbidding the practices, and largely unregulated limestone mining in Efaté.

The Department of Geology, Mines and Water is responsible for the promotion and management of mineral resource exploration in Vanuatu. The Mines and Minerals section of the department ensures that any excavation is carried out in accordance with the Mines and Minerals Act of 1986, which requires the acquisition of the appropriate mining licenses and quarrying permits.