BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
ANOTHER mining operation has arrived in Isabel Province, with activities now shifting towards the Hograno area.
This latest development brings the total number of mining operations in Isabel to four, following the closure of the Suma mining operation.
Reports reaching Island Sun confirm that a ship loaded with heavy equipment was sighted sailing past Lelegia Village enroute to Poku, where the new operation is expected to commence.
Multiple sources from nearby communities also confirmed that mining equipment has landed at Poku, near Koisisi and Fanavi villages.
“There are 10 dump trucks, two Hilux vehicles and 20,000 litres of fuel onboard the ship,” one source told Island Sun yesterday.
Landowners of Poku have been engaged in a massive logging operation since early 2017 and now operation has been upgraded to mining.
It is still too early to confirm the name of the company behind the operation.
However, records from the Ministry of Mines and Energy show that four active mining licences have been endorsed for operations in Isabel Province.
The companies listed include Jin Ding Resource PTY Limited, South Pacific Mining Company Limited, Solomon Islands Resource Company Limited and Pacific Nickel Mines Kolosori Limited.
According to official records, there are currently two active mining licences and two active prospecting licences in Isabel Province.
One mining licence permits the extraction of nickel, while the other is for gold extraction. The two active prospecting licences are both for nickel exploration.
More details are expected to emerge as the operation rolls out in the coming days.
While the mining operation will provide job opportunities for locals and also contribute to the national economy, communities fear that the impact will be devastating.
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