Tuesday, 23rd May 2006 (3182 views)

Gold mining is underway in 30 mines located in Vietnam's northern mountainous provinces, a region that could become a 'gold industry zone'. The 30 deposits give access to verified reserves of around 300 tons.

In fact, the current mining activity is only scratching the surface of the potential capacity for gold production in Vietnam. Reports from the Vietnamese Trade Industry are circulating that claim 500 gold deposits have recently been discovered.

A geological survey by the French BGRM Group estimated the Pac Lang mine to have the largest potential capacity, at 30 tons.

In April, a joint venture between local and Canadian companies established the first Vietnam gold plant with an annual processing capacity of 180,000 tons of ore, in the central province of Quang Nam. Explorations suggest that the Bong Mieu mine has reserves of at least eight tons of gold.

Vietnam officials have said that some of the mines with capacities potentially as great as Bong Mieu pose extraction difficulties. The technology required for full exploitation is reported to be too costly for the local industry.

 

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