Find Mining expertise in Tonga
- Mining
- Quarrying
- Governance
There is currently no onshore mining in Tonga, but minerals have been found offshore, generating international interest. Exploratory mining licences have been granted throughout the years to several international institutions including Bluewater Metals Pty Ltd and the Korean Oceanography Research Development Institute. Tonga is involved in the Pacific Deep Sea Minerals Project which is funded by the European Union and managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC) and helps pacific communities to manage reserves of deep sea minerals. In 2008 Nautilus Minerals conducted a deep sea mineral resources exploration in Tonga, which led to the discovery of ten new seafloor sulphide systems, most of which are zinc dominated deposits. These findings are expected to result in new industrial development for Tonga. In 2012 the International Seabed Authority and Tonga Offshore Mining, a subsidiary of Nautilus Minerals, signed a 15-year contract for the exploration of polymetallic mineral reserves in an area of the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone in the Pacific Ocean.
Quarrying activities in Tonga include the production of crushed rock for use in building and aggregate materials. The best known quarry is the ‘Ahononou Quarry, which is located in the west of Tongatapu. The quarry is said to be the only source of high-quality rock on the island, and has supplied rock for the construction of several roads throughout Tongatapu, as well as the runway for the Fuaʻamotu International Airport.
The Ministry of Lands, Survey and Natural Resources is responsible for managing all mineral and energy resources in Tonga. All mining and exploratory activities in Tonga are subject to the provisions laid out in the Minerals Act, which was most recently revised in 1988. Exploration licences are required for any mining or exploratory activity on the islands under the Minerals Act, and granted on behalf of the monarch.
The Tongan Seabed Mining Act 2014 governs mining of the seabed, particularly in relation to environmental concerns.
EITI status
Tonga is not currently EITI compliant
Mining and Minerals organisations in Tonga | |
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GWP Consultants LLP |
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