30 OCTOBER 2015www.fijitimes.com
Bauxite mining in Bua continues, two more sites being explored
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
2 min read
Bauxite mining in Fji's Bua province has not ended and other prospective sites are being explored for possible deposits. This was confirmed to members of the Parliament Standing Committee on Natural Resources by Department of Mineral Resources director Malakai Finau.
Mr Finau said although the company mining bauxite at Nawailevu had started exploration on Wainunu in Bua, there was no guarantee it would be given access to other sites.
"In Nawailevu there are two sites, Nawailevu south and Nawailevu north, they haven't completed exporting," said Mr Finau.
He said standing bauxite at the stockpile site at Naviqiri amounted to 70,000 wet metric tonnes, which was estimated during the last inspection visit by the department.
Mr Finau also revealed the initial $US26 ($F55) per tonne had to be reduced because silica was discovered in the bauxite as well with the company always insisting it was extracting aluminium only and not other minerals found with the bauxite.
Members of the Parliament Standing Committee on Natural Resources asked Mr Finau if the company used silica for other purposes to which he said the department was unaware of this.
However, he informed the committee that some water bottling companies used silica in their products locally.
Mr Finau said although the company mining bauxite at Nawailevu had started exploration on Wainunu in Bua, there was no guarantee it would be given access to other sites.
"In Nawailevu there are two sites, Nawailevu south and Nawailevu north, they haven't completed exporting," said Mr Finau.
He said standing bauxite at the stockpile site at Naviqiri amounted to 70,000 wet metric tonnes, which was estimated during the last inspection visit by the department.
Mr Finau also revealed the initial $US26 ($F55) per tonne had to be reduced because silica was discovered in the bauxite as well with the company always insisting it was extracting aluminium only and not other minerals found with the bauxite.
Members of the Parliament Standing Committee on Natural Resources asked Mr Finau if the company used silica for other purposes to which he said the department was unaware of this.
However, he informed the committee that some water bottling companies used silica in their products locally.
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