Extractive Industries

Overview of​ an industrial gold mine and refinery in Okvau. Photo taken from the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s Facebook Page, taken on 11 June 2021.Mineral resources are defined as “any substance, whether in solid, liquid or gaseous form, naturally originated by a geological process ...

Extractive industries include mining and mineral sectors, natural gas and oil exploration, petroleum refineries, and quarrying for construction resources such as sand, stone, and gravel. Cambodia’s extractive resources have gone largely untapped, while these resources are geographically identifiable. French and Chinese geologists have been indicated ...

There is no large industrial-scale extraction of minerals carried out in Cambodia yet, but many exploration licenses have been granted and some mining companies have reported promising finds of minerals such as gold. Today companies from China, Korea, Vietnam, Australia and elsewhere are exploring for ...

Minerals from Halpern Mineral Collection, San Francisco, Photo by Eric Hunt taken on October 21 2006. License under: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Many of Cambodia’s mineral resources are undeveloped, with most production concentrating on construction materials such as crushed stone, sand, gravel and limestone.1There is currently no ...

Cambodia's potential for uranium mining was examined in 1977 by the International Atomic Energy Agency under its International Uranium Resources Evaluation Projects and National Favorability Studies. The findings indicated that Cambodia's uranium potential is limited. ...

Oil and gas have been found on Cambodian territory but no commercial extraction has begun. When extraction may begin is uncertain while oil prices are at comparatively low levels. All the petroleum products for local demand are imported, chiefly from Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand. Consumption ...

There is no large-scale industrial mining of gems in Cambodia, and few full-time miners. Most people involved in looking for gemstones fit it around other work – typically farm work – and mostly do it without licenses. As with artisanal mining, miners are often very ...

Artisanal mining is small-scale mining that typically involves individuals, family groups or small communities, often working with limited technology. The mining may be seasonal, fitted around other work such as farming. There is a large overlap between this type of activity and gemstone mining. Artisanal ...

Small-scale quarries producing construction materials are a key part of the mining industry in Cambodia. Clay for brick and tile manufacturing and sand and gravel are found in many locations.Under the Law on Mineral Resource Management and Exploitation (‘the mining law’) there are six types ...

Cambodia’s extractive industries have traditionally operated on a small scale, mostly mining construction materials, gold or gemstones. While commercial production of minerals or oil has yet to begin on a large scale – these products made up just 0.1% of the country’s exports in 20161 – ...

Copper exploration is concentrated in Preah Vihear province in the northern part of Cambodia. The most active explorer is Australian-based Geopacific Resources, in collaboration with Cambodian tycoon Kith Meng’s Royal Group. Geopacific Resources is working with Cambodian-based Royal Group at Kou Sa, a 158 km2 ...

Despite having both onshore and offshore oil discoveries in the country, Cambodia does not produce oil and has been importing petroleum products from Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore. The Cambodia Trucking Association (CAMTA) says it controls around 70% of the Kingdom’s transportation. ...

Nineteen onshore blocks have been delineated for possible oil exploration. Contracts have been awarded for three. No oil is currently extracted in Cambodia. ...

There is currently no oils refinery in Cambodia. Although a refinery has been planned, its construction has been delayed several times, reportedly over financing difficulties. ...

For the purposes of oil and gas exploration, six Offshore Blocks (A–F) have been set out. Significant finds of oil have been made in Block A, but no oil has yet been extracted. ...

Although exploratory work has indicated the presence of modest coal resources in northern Cambodia, no commercial-scale mining has yet begun. The coal used in electricity generation and for other purposes is imported.A coal barge from Samarinda coal mine on the Mahakam river. Indonesia, Borneo. Photo ...

Although there is currently no commercial-scale production of gold carried out in Cambodia, exploration by many companies is underway, with some promising find reported. Subject to government approval, commercial production could begin in 2016 or 2017. Gold is found in a number of ...

The mining sector in Cambodia is mostly undeveloped, and active mining enterprises are typically small-scale quarries producing materials for construction, such as laterite, marble, granite, limestone, gravel and sand. There is no industrial-scale extraction of minerals, although many exploration licenses have been granted to ...

Although Cambodia is believed to have iron ore resources and a number of exploration licenses have been granted, no significant finds have been reported. There is no commercial mining of iron ore in the country. While ambitious plans for mining and steel plants have been ...

Raw gravel, photo by touch and see, taken on March 26, 2014. Licensed under: CC BY-SA 2.0Since 2010, Cambodia has seen increasing production of cement, crushed stone, sand and gravel in response to the country’s booming construction sector. Approved investment in the construction industry in ...

Many varieties of gemstone are found in Cambodia, with rubies and sapphires being the most valuable. Diamonds and emeralds are not found here. There is no large-scale commercial mining of gems. Stones are recovered by individuals or small family or community groups. ...