Mining in Fiji

Fiji Mining - Dome Gold Mines

The mining industry is an integrated part of Fiji's economic activity, with one of the country's biggest exporters being golds. The most important mining operations concentrate on the manufacture of solid metal products such as salt, steel and cements. Fiji's isles are situated on the Pacific Rim of Fire, the Pacific's busy Tectonian border with the Indo-Australian Plate, which contains several significant world-class porphyry-copper-gold and epoxy thermal goldmining deposit.

Rising metals and a better appreciation of the link between the occurrence of rich metals and high grade magma have concentrated recent explorations on young vulcanic terrains in the surrounding area of the Far East, particularly Fiji. In the entire area of the Philippines and Indonesia, which extends from New Zealand to the north, through Fiji to Papua New Guinea, there is widespread mineralization of pure ore.

Recent important findings include Porgera and Lihir Island, PNG, Hishikari in Japan, Kelian in Indonesia, and the remediation of epoxy thermal reservoirs that were exploited at the beginning of the last millennium, such as Waihi and Golden Cross in New Zealand. Fiji's goldmining is mainly Emperor Goldmine, which is held by the AIM-listed Vatukoula Goldmines, which has been in near steady operation since 1935, producing over 7 Moz Golds and currently producing almost 5 Moz Golds.

Large mining company, Newcrest, administers and holds 69. The Namosi joint venture, one of the world's biggest untapped copper-gold reserves (approx. 52 Moz equivalents of gold), is currently undergoing an environmental impact assessment. A recent audit by the East-West Centre, Honolulu, for the United States Trade and Develoment Programme acknowledged that the methods of accessing property for Fiji rock prospecting and developing are among the most favorable in the South West Pacific.

Fiji's government, with a solid mining code and an administrative system based on UK legislation, is cooperative and developmental, providing appropriate licensing and tax frameworks and negotiated tax breaks to promote commercial growth. MLMRE is Fiji's most important governmental authority implementing the country's mining policy in accordance with the Mining Act of 1978 (revised 1985).

MLMRE's Department of Mines and Mines ("MRD") is developing mining policy and providing geologic information to support mining industry investment and facilitating the exploitation and exploitation of minerals and oil onshore. In Fiji, the company issues prospecting licences for minerals, basic metal, beryllium, bauxite, calcareous stone/marble, aggregates, crude oil and natural gases and terrestrial heating.