Vientiane province mining projects prove feasibility
Vientiane province mining projects prove feasibility
Two new mining projects in Vientiane province have proved their feasibility with related agreements soon to be reached between the authorities and developers.
An official from the provincial Department of Energy and Mines, Mr Vanvaly Thammavong, informed local media on Tuesday of summary results for 31 mining feasibility studies that had been authorised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
“Two of the 31 authorised projects have proved viable for further development. They are the gold exploration project in Xanakham district and the project searching for lead, zinc, gold, copper and silver in Kasy district,” Mr Vanvaly said.
According to the department, mining is among the industries with considerable potential in the province along with hydroelectric power generation, crop processing, and tourism.
With regard to the other 29 projects, Mr Vanvaly said further study was needed to prove their feasibility.
Since 2008, mining operators have had to pay US$10,000 to US$20,000 annually to local communities for each exploration project, with additional fees if the projects were developed to production stage.
Mr Vanvaly said the government and provincial authority had earned a significant amount of money from mineral exploration through concession fees, charges for natural resources and other levies.
He also revealed that coal was attracting investor interest because of its abundance while demand was stable due to constant demand from cement plants.
